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“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” WHO

Wellness can be described as optimal health in all three dimensions – body, mind, and spirit – within the limits of one's hereditary and personal traits. The term wellness was added in the WHO Health Promotion Glossary in 2006 to describe “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups, with two focal concerns: the realization of the individual's fullest potential physically, socially, spiritually, and economically, and the fulfilment of one's role expectations in the family, community, place of worship, workplace, and other settings.” Figure 1.1 illustrates the Illness‐Wellness Continuum proposed by John W. Travis According to this view, wellness is not just the absence of disease, but it incorporates the individual's mental and emotional health. The right side of the Continuum reflects degrees of wellness. Individuals can move further to the right, toward health and wellness, through awareness, education, and growth. The left side of the Continuum reflects degrees of illness or worsening states of health, reflected by signs, symptoms, and disability. This approach underlined that traditional Western medicine typically treats injuries, disabilities, and symptoms, to bring the individual to a “neutral point” but not to achieve a high level of wellness.

FIGURE 1.1 The Illness‐Wellness Continuum.

Source: Travis (1977). Reprinted with permission from the Wellness Association.

The National Wellness Institute (NWI) introduced the “Six Dimensions of Wellness” model that includes physical, occupational, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional parameters (Figure 1.2). According to this model, the feature of consciousness is critical in achieving and maintaining wellness. It gives the impetus to opt for choices, which will enhance a person’s maximal capabilities. In addition, wellness is characterized by positiveness – a complex condition that incorporates balance and harmony in lifestyle, environmental, mental, and spiritual features. According to the NWI, “Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward a more successful existence.”