Much of healthcare involves seeking expertise, receiving treatment and making decisions with the support of trained professionals.
There is good reason for this. When we are unwell, professional knowledge and appropriate treatment matter.
But there is another part of health that cannot be handed over completely.
It is the part that involves understanding what is happening to us, asking questions, noticing changes, making informed choices and recognising where we may still have some influence.
At Mindful Yogis, we believe that this active role matters.
Agency is not the same as responsibility for becoming unwell
Taking an active role in your health does not mean accepting blame for a health condition.
Illness can arise for many reasons, including factors over which we have little or no control. Even where lifestyle plays a part, health is rarely explained by a single behaviour or choice.
“Agency means recognising where, within our circumstances, we still have some capacity to participate.”
That capacity will differ from person to person and may also change over time.
The purpose is not to create another standard that someone has to meet. It is to recognise what can reasonably be influenced without pretending that everything is within our control.
Participation can take many forms
Taking part in your own health does not necessarily mean making a major lifestyle change.
It may mean understanding why a treatment has been recommended, asking questions when something is unclear, noticing when a symptom changes, or being able to describe what you are experiencing more accurately.
It may mean recognising patterns that appear to support your health or make things more difficult, making a change where one is realistic, or recognising when something cannot be managed alone and seeking appropriate help.
These actions may seem modest, but together they change our relationship with our own health.
We move from simply having things done to us towards having a meaningful part in the decisions and actions that concern us.
Professional expertise and lived experience are different
A healthcare professional may know far more about a disease, a treatment or a particular intervention.
You know what it is like to live in your body and within your particular circumstances. You know what a recommendation looks like once it meets your working day, family responsibilities, energy, limitations and the other demands on your life.
Neither replaces the other. Good support brings them into conversation.
This is one reason we believe a person's observations, priorities and experience should remain part of the process.
Support should build agency
This principle also shapes how we think about our role at Mindful Yogis.
Good support should, where possible, strengthen a person's ability to recognise their patterns, make informed choices and understand what support they need.
It means remaining an active participant in your health and care while receiving the expertise and support of others.
Health is never entirely within our control. But there are often areas in which informed participation remains possible.