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Abstract
The John Travis’ Wellness Workbook is not just any book for wellness. Rather, it is designed to
make people be responsible for their own health and wellness by involving and educating him to
do so. He has focused on highlighting the spectrum of holistic health through the Wellness Energy
Spectrum, Iceberg model and Illness/Wellness Continuum. The idea is to establish
interconnectedness between twelve energy forms throughout all stages of human life and
development, and wit levels of environment- from inside our body to the whole planet. Through
numerous surveys, tools for a wellness evaluation to an assortment of color dots and even a
thermometer, the book promotes wellness in a three step process- evaluation, education and
growth. He has advised the readers how to tackle the negative points or pain areas of our life and
restore the pleasurable experience that you want for yourself.
In this paper, I am writing about the author’s central idea and other highlights, and my personal
experience and benefits that I derived from the reading the book. The assortment of wellness
options presented such as nutrition, biofeedback, exercise, relaxation, intrapersonal
communication and social awareness and self responsibility, made me not only practice them
myself, but also gave me the knowledge to incorporate them into my clients’ lifestyle as a life
coach.
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Summary/Overview:
The book ‘ how to achieve enduring vitality” is a personal wellness guide to wellness and healthy
living. It employs a multi-pronged approach to one’s wellness journey by exploring twelve
interconnected forms of energy that lead to our holistic health and vitality. Each of its chapters
delves deep into each of the energy forms such as Self-Responsibility and Love, Breathing,
Sensing, Eating, Moving, Feeling, Thinking, Playing and Working, Communicating, Sex, Finding
Meaning and Transcending. The key idea presented in the book is that diseases, and injuries are
only the tip of the iceberg. In order to achieve holistic wellness, one needs to scratch the surface
and go deeper to assess the root cause of the illness, is what is mentioned in the iceberg model.
Most often than not, it can be attributed to one or more of the twelve forms of internal energies,
i.e. our breath to how we sense or feel about the world, that affect a person’s disposition towards
life’s challenges, physical injuries and relationships and general level of happiness and stress. A
state of equilibrium or Nirvana exists when all the forms of energy are in harmony and balance
with each other; this ensures a disease and stress free life. This book interestingly weaves in the
Marshall Rosenberg's NVC Process into the wellness process too.
The use of a self assessment tool called the Wellness Index or Wellness Wheel of the body, mind
and soul, the book gives us insights into the neglected areas or issues of immediate concern that
need our focus. Consequently, it outlines a structure in which each energy form is described and
ideas, and tools to control the energy and lead to healthy living is elucidated.
A classic text in the wellness field, thoroughly revised and updated, and streamlined for a more
simple and practical presentation. The third edition is a classic, updated and revised version of the
earlier editions and is a simple a practical presentation of modern day exercises, techniques for
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holistic healing and health. Apart from the nutritional model, all the other tools and models
described in the book are up to date.
Personal opinion
The book is a very relevant, and contextual textbooks for High school students and professionals
alike seeking to take control of their overall health and wellness. The book brought to light many
aspects of my lifestyle that I took for granted and challenged by inherent belief systems, eating
and sleeping regimen, and stress patterns that impact my health. The most valuable tool according
to me was the wellness assessment questionnaire called the “Wellness Wheel” or “Wellness Index
that gave me insight about my health risks, and challenges, and strengths enabling me to work on
the improvement journey. The questionnaire was evaluative and exhaustive and took over an hour
to complete, but at the end of it, I was satisfied with the outcome. I opted for self analysis and
assessment scoring of my personal wellness index based on a key provided in the book.
Alternatively, one could order an interactive form of the analysis report online from
www.WellnessWorkbook.com for a small price.
This is by far the best and most useful wellness book that I have laid my hands on; very
informative, and enlightening and easy to use practical solution to health shortcomings. I found
every text and chapter riveting and detailed and the author Dr. Travis helped address most of my
health related inquiries along the book. I especially liked the personal images from the author’s
childhood and the Grand Certificate on the last page deserves to be put up for display on our walls.
Health and wellness guides play an integral in today’s fast paced, stressed lives of people. This
book aims not just for the physical wellness of the individual, but also play an instrumental role in
lifestyle management, support in behavioral changes, risk management, education coaching, or
chronic disease management. Parents who adopt and instill this valuable information given in the
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book in their children, will help make positive lifestyle choices that lead to a balanced, well
composed and stable growing up years. The gift of health is by far the most invaluable gift that
parents can give their children. Rather than focusing on one aspect of health, Wellness Workbook
by Dr. Travis enlightens readers about a whole new world of holistic health and well being by
providing a sound theoretical base, and interactive & practical methods to achieve healthy lifestyle
changes.
Application as a Life coach
A Health and Wellness Coach’s guide to powerful initial assessment and design of foundation for
wellness, the book is a handy toolbox for every practicing life coach. It serves as a reference guide
for a life coach like me seeking additional knowledge in wellness tools, healing approaches,
techniques and accompanying assessment used at different points in the wellness process. As the
field of wellness coaching grows those delivering these services need this book at arm's length of
their shelves. Health and wellness coaching is a holistic approach to preventive medicine, spiritual
healing and disease management; life coaching is a subset of Total Health and wellness coaching.
Life coaches serve as a pillar of support and guidance to their patients by getting involved in
regular one to one discussions concerning on-life issues. The book acts as a reference guide that
provides me with a designed framework that I can apply in my individualized motivational
sessions. It has clearly defined and measurable lifestyle changing goals for the client to achieve by
the end of the coaching period. The design and implementation of the customized behavioral
framework, however, begins with an initial assessment with the aid of the Wellness Index
questionnaire. The initial assessment process deconstructs the client, his strengths and challenges,
and lays the course for the foundation of the life coaching and establishing the relationship between
the coach and client. I will utilize the Wellness Index and Wellness Wheel to conduct a thorough
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assessment of the wellness quotient of the client in key energy areas of the client’s life. It provides
a visual framework and starting point for the coach, to design a wellness plan that focusses on the
problem areas in the right fashion so as to reach the desired goal of wellness that incorporates
mind, body and spirit.
This book is a godsend for people of all ages who often struggle to come up with the right approach
to improving holistic health and to understand the concepts of achieving wellness. This gives us
greater confidence and effectiveness to master the healing process, through self responsibility,
nutritional awareness, physical fitness, environmental sensibility and stress management in order
to achieve a sustainable healthy lifestyle. This reference guide is a toolkit packed with dozens of
engaging information that talks about the power of sensing such as touch, foot reflexology; healing
music; aromatherapy with scents; deep breathing and meditation; nutrition and drinking water;
avoiding strong radiation and junk food; physical exercise; positive thinking and self acceptance,
models and exercises, covering everything from conversational models, practical advice and
options that equip us to take ownership of ours and our family’s health. It even includes an
independent lifestyle change chart to follow so as to incorporate the healthy changes and master
the techniques until they translate into daily habits.
Instead of just offering lists of wellness questions, and responses that improve physical health,
this book connects the twelve energy forms that affect emotions, attitudes, and feel good beliefs
through real life examples, tools and exercises and teaches you to use the tools as well. The focus
on tools, plus concepts and examples make it a reference guide that will be handy to anyone’s
seeking holistic wellness and health.
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Conclusion
Every Wellness Coach and Energy Practitioner must grab this book, to learn and refresh the
concepts and tools of healthy living. This is extremely imperative and a prerequisite for people in
today’s fast moving, highly stressed lives, to understand the benefits of healthy living and follow
the rules prescribed in the wellness Workbook for a disease free, and healthy and fit life. I
recommend any one pursuing holistic health and wellness to first take the test. Then follow the
sections that serve as a guide to addressing the concern areas of our body and mind. Through this
process, we will get to know about our body and our inner self, our lifestyle and the choices that
we need to make in order to achieve a balanced state of body, mind and soul i.e. Energies in sync
with each other. It was an excellent read & I learned a lot. If you're eager to building a better life
for yourself, this book is a mandatory addition to your library.