Foundational Principles
At Maryland University of Integrative Health, we commit, individually and collectively, to remembering these foundational principles. We use these to guide our behavior, inform our decisions, and shape our preferred future.
Interconnection
Everyone and everything in the universe is intrinsically connected. Modern science and ancient healing traditions both reflect our interdependence with the environment.
Health care research shows that individual well-being is directly connected to the health of both the social community and ecological environment. Ancient healing traditions assert that individually and collectively people shape the world in which they live through their words, actions and thoughts.
Holism
A person, organization, or system is more than the sum of its parts and can ultimately only be understood and explained as a whole. This holistic perspective significantly impacts healthcare, research, and community life.
Working from this orientation, practitioners take into consideration the entirety of a person (body-mind-spirit); researchers apply systems approaches rather than reductionist models to the study of therapeutic disciplines; and educators, policy makers, and community members make decisions and take action within the context of the whole.
Transformation
People, communities, and organizations have the potential for profound and ongoing change. Transformation is catalyzed by the environment and receptivity to change.
The availability of resources and a sense of empowerment are central to positive transformations. Time-honored traditions assert that living in harmony with nature, cultivating mindfulness, and serving others are paths to individual and community transformation.
Diversity
Diversity underlies the health of any system. In the natural world, biological diversity generates and reflects a sustainable ecology. Diversity of people within an organization or community contributes to creativity, adaptability, and the checking of group bias.
Recognition of diverse explanatory models of health and disease, the value of different healing modalities, and the uniqueness of each person provides the foundation for an inclusive and robust model of healthcare.
Resilience
Resilience is the process of navigating change and effectively recovering from challenges. It is a type of adaptation that involves maintaining core integrity while adjusting to meet the demands of shifting circumstances. At its best, resilience involves not only meeting a challenge but also evolving and thriving as a result of the process.
Physiological resilience reflects the capacity to maintain and adjust biological states, as needed. From a whole person perspective, resilience emerges from a multitude of factors, including accepting circumstances that cannot be changed; taking decisive actions when required; cultivating a healthy, positive perspective; developing a sense of purpose in life; and establishing strong social support.