Celebrating 10 Years Of mbg: 10 Things We Believe To Be True

The road to well-being is a long and winding one, and nobody has the same experience on it. The research that has come out on the gut microbiome, our second genome1, alone—that there are millions upon millions of microorganisms living in your digestive tract that make up their own unique "fingerprint" of sorts—is enough to remind us that no two bodies are the same. And that's the best part! The journey is all about understanding yourself and being flexible and adaptable to change. 

There's a reason that mindbodygreen is one word and not three. We believe that true well-being comes from the union of mind, body, and environmental health. We can't be truly healthy if our planet is sick—and it's high time to wake up to that reality.

The CDC2 estimates that 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disease in their lifetime, and mental illnesses are now the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for people ages 18-44. We can all agree that this is a crisis, and we need to destigmatize mental illness and have a more open dialogue around mental health. After all, your most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.

We live in an overprescribed society, but Western medicine can be essential. While acupuncture can be helpful for dealing with chronic pain3 or lessening the symptoms of menopause, when you have a Staph infection, antibiotics are what will save you.

When in doubt, go back to basics: Breathe, eat clean, and prioritize movement—even if it's just a few minutes' worth. (Hey, research shows4 that a 10-minute HIIT workout boosts your endurance and heart health just as much as a 50-minute gym session does.) Making simple, consistent changes over time is what's most effective. But that doesn't mean those changes are easy to make!

There are a lot of products out there vying for your attention and wellness-washing now runs rampant. We live in a world where things are moving fast. (It's hard to believe that the Impossible Burger went from relative unknown to a fixture on Burger King menus in less than a year.) There are so many different options and labels, but it doesn't always mean that they're good for you. Ultimately, you need to become the most educated buyer you can. The best consumer is a conscious, educated one and the best products are trusted, science-backed, and proven to work. 

What we’ve seen in wellness is that things become trends and then people want to jump in. We live in an age of 23-year-old life coaches and, as Michael Pollan writes in his new book, people in airports with signs for ayahuasca ceremonies instead of taxis. We believe that everyone has something to offer, but well-being advice is best doled out by seasoned experts who are credentialed in their respective fields. 

In a world of fad diets and quick fixes, what works for you might not work for me. It's a personal journey to find out what you need. That's why we're big believers in tuning in to your own body. We lean on practices like breath work, yoga, and meditation to help us slow down and tune it. Once we do so, oftentimes we find that what our body is craving isn't necessarily what we were expecting.

Despite an increase in technology that claims to connect us, we're as isolated as ever—with 40% of U.S. adults reporting feelings of loneliness. Make no mistake about it, this isolation has implications on our health: Loneliness can make us 50% more likely5 to die prematurely according to one scientific review6. The "law of sacred reciprocity [is] we have to give as much as we receive in equal measure, just like the breath...this is the primary spiritual law of many of the indigenous communities," Lissa Rankin, M.D. told the group at this year's revitalize. Never underestimate the healing power of giving and receiving in community. Because we are all spiritually connected.

Jason and Colleen Wachob