In the interview with our Chairperson of the Board, Ebru Şinik, published in Oksijen Newspaper’s weekend supplement O2 on April 3, 2024, the concepts of wellbeing, holistic health, meditation, corporate wellbeing, and quality of life were discussed comprehensively.
1. The Wellbeing Association is a very new organization. What kind of need led to its establishment? Could you briefly tell us about it?
Wellbeing is an indicator of the overall quality of life, and the wellbeing lifestyle that I have integrated into my life since 2011 has elevated my life in every aspect.
Apart from the students participating in the four different Preventive Medicine Certificate Programs we run under the Yükselen Çağ Wellbeing Academy (which I founded), our greatest motivation as the Board of Directors of the Wellbeing Association is to share this new-generation lifestyle knowledge with the general public—especially those who may not have the time, financial means, or motivation for formal education, but still want to start somewhere and feel better.
Wellbeing has not been a luxury for a long time. Over the last 30 years, serious research and statistics—primarily in the US, UK, Australia, and Germany—and particularly the post-pandemic period, have accelerated public awareness programs and publications worldwide aimed at improving overall quality of life. Furthermore, the necessity of integrating Work-Life Balance, which is a crucial determinant of Holistic Health and Well-being, into corporate cultures under the umbrella of Corporate Wellbeing has clearly emerged. Google was the first in the world to professionally address this in the early 2010s and turn it into a corporate culture. Of course, I must also mention that the international research company GALLUP has been leading the way in this field.
According to data published in February 2021 by the TIME Magazine 2030 Committee, the period between 2021 and 2030 will determine whether the planet remains habitable for humans. During this period, the six main pillars that will save the planet and humanity are identified as: innovation, equity, sustainability, economy, leadership, and wellbeing.
As the HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLBEING ASSOCIATION (Bütünsel Sağlık ve Wellbeing Derneği), our goal is to protect individual, corporate, and public health, and to elevate holistic health and mindfulness in professional, personal, social, and digital life.
2. On the phone, you mentioned that there are only three such conferences in the world. What are the commonalities or differences between ours and the others?
There are a number of universities, NGOs, and research organizations working on this worldwide, mostly based in the UK, US, and Australia. However, the summits held by the international research organization GALLUP and the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre (established within Oxford University) are the most serious and comprehensive in the world. For about 20 years, GALLUP has been conducting wellbeing research representing approximately 98% of the global population and publishing these findings annually. Additionally, Arianna Huffington, through her platform Thrive Global, has been carrying out significant initiatives for 15 years by involving corporate America.
When we examine these global summits and conferences, two main aspects stand out regarding our commonalities and differences:
Corporate Wellbeing Awareness: As an expert who has been delivering Corporate Wellbeing training for 13 years, I can easily say that we are successfully integrating our corporate world into this concept under Wellbeing At Work just as much as they do in the UK and the US. Our country is on track to achieve remarkable awareness. We can clearly observe this in the long lists of companies that show interest and participate with their brands in our 2nd Wellbeing Conference (held on Saturday, May 4th), and those that have been receiving wellbeing training from us for years.
Data and Statistics: Unfortunately, we lag far behind in terms of providing data and statistics. To address this, the academic members on our association’s board have published 5 different studies so far. We plan to expand these studies to larger groups and contribute more to international data.
3. What kind of audience does this conference attract? Is it attended by those who already have some knowledge about the subject, or those who want to completely change their lives with a sudden realization?
The conference audience mostly consists of professionals who have previously encountered the concept of wellbeing through publications or received training in their companies, as well as forward-thinking brands investing in the future.
Over the last two years, the majority of ticket buyers have been HR and Training Directors from the corporate world, doctors with training in Integrative and Functional Medicine, academics from various scientific disciplines, and certified Wellbeing Experts and Bio-Integrative Breath Therapists graduated from Gedik University and Yükselen Çağ Wellbeing Academy.
Defining the term “wellbeing” might make this clearer:
In today’s fast-paced world, our spiritual and mental health is just as important as our physical health. This is exactly where “wellbeing” comes in.
Wellbeing is a term that expresses an individual’s overall quality of life and life satisfaction. It encompasses a state of balance consisting of physical, mental, emotional, and social components, and is about how a person feels in the primary areas that shape their life.
Therefore, we do not need to completely change our lives to integrate wellbeing. Individuals first need to set an intention and make a decision. A person must stop, reflect, and say: “From this moment on, I want to feel better in every sense; this is my birthright. I must start somewhere, no matter how small, to elevate my overall wellbeing.”
4. Unlike last year, epigenetics is also one of the sections of the conference this year. Can you talk about its importance for our lives?
Epigenetics is the branch of science that studies changes in gene expression that are hereditary but do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence. Epigenomes, which are mechanisms that control and regulate gene functioning, are described by scientists as being “above” the genes. This mechanism, which determines when, where, and how much genes will work—in other words, the changes in the expression of genetic information encoded in DNA without any change in the DNA structure or sequence—is called “epigenetics,” meaning “genetics above genetics.”
Epigenomes control all genetic activity by telling genes how to behave, thereby raising or lowering gene quality. Epigenetic science has proven that lifestyle changes are far more effective in preventing diseases than genes themselves. In short, epigenetic research shows that:
While only 5% of diseases are linked directly to genes, the remaining 95% can be controlled through epigenetics.
In my book Your Genes Are Not Your Destiny (Genleriniz Kaderiniz Değildir), published in 2018, I focused entirely on this topic. I detailed the latest scientific conclusions regarding our genes and how we can integrate recommended lifestyle changes into our lives without pushing ourselves too far out of our comfort zones. This book serves as a lifelong reference guide.
In short, for a better life structure, it is high time we step out of the victim role and take responsibility for our well-being in the light of science. You no longer have to fly thousands of miles to mountains, temples, or remote centers for this. It is enough to research accurate information and guidance sources. This practice can be integrated step-by-step into the lives of people rushing around in major metropolises. In our country, too, there are tens of thousands of examples of elevated well-being resulting from lifestyle changes over the last 12 years.
5. What does wellbeing encompass?
The term wellbeing refers to daily lifestyle choices that ensure balance across our three primary bodies—physical, mental, and spiritual—while simultaneously establishing balance in Career, Financial, Social, and Environmental life, as identified in GALLUP’s landmark 2010 global Wellbeing Study (representing 98% of the world’s population). It is an all-encompassing umbrella term that houses all wellness and preventive medicine practices.
Wellbeing is still frequently confused with wellness. Wellness typically refers only to fitness, nutrition, and SPA practices. Wellbeing, however, is the overarching umbrella term that includes wellness practices as well.
In short, wellbeing expresses a complete state of balance and a harmonious life within our professional, social, and financial lives, as well as our physical, mental, and spiritual body health. It can be defined as “Holistic Health, Happiness, and a State of Being Well.” Ultimately, our overall quality of life is the clearest indicator of our state of wellbeing.
According to epigenetic science and ancient wisdom, our lifestyle is the most critical determinant of our health, mind-body balance, and wellbeing. In other words, being better and happier depends on the seemingly minor choices we make daily.
6. I would also like to talk about meditation. In previous years, I noticed that people were much more prejudiced about this. They always worry that “I can’t do it.” Is there any change in this now? What are your observations?
Yes, you are absolutely right. Over the last 12 years, we have made significant positive progress regarding meditation in Turkey. The questions we used to get years ago, like “Is meditation a sin?” have completely stopped over the last 6-7 years.
Meditation, in short, is a scientific technique to rest the mind.
Associating it with any religion is highly inaccurate. Meditative practices exist in all monotheistic religions and spiritual disciplines. The most important reason for this is that it clears the mind of “clutter thoughts” and carries the individual toward their true potential.
My introduction to all these wellbeing practices started with the Meditation and Ayurveda certificate programs I completed at the Chopra Center in the US. I can clearly divide my life into two halves: Before Meditation and After Meditation. I have taught thousands of people how to meditate based on scientific principles, and I have observed—and continue to witness—hundreds of transformed lives after they simply started practicing meditation regularly.
In fact, when I first started, I thought to myself: “If a rational-minded, former stockbroker like me can be convinced, anyone can be convinced,” and that is how I began teaching.
Scientists define meditation as the “antidote to stress.”
And they are absolutely right! If you cannot manage your stress levels, you cannot manage your life, meaning you are being tossed around in life like a dry leaf in the wind. We practice meditation primarily for stress management. Beyond that, the benefits are too many to list.
7. Since we are on the subject, could you briefly talk about what meditation brings to our lives?
Even though meditation is not an intellectual practice, it is extremely important for our logical mind to understand its scientific effects and be convinced, as this ensures the sustainability of the practice. Meditation is a state where we step out of the state of “DOING” and shift into the state of “BEING.” Its positive effects on our physical, mental, and spiritual health have been proven by highly respected international scientific studies for nearly 30 years.
Research conducted by prestigious institutions such as Harvard Medical School, MIT, Yale University, and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital has demonstrated changes in brain neuroplasticity. According to these studies, regular meditation rapidly evolves the way neurons in the brain connect and relate to one another, changing the brain’s chemistry. In other words, regular meditation rewires how our mind works.
Of course, there are hundreds of different meditation techniques. Does it matter which technique you practice? Absolutely.
Particularly, Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009 along with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak for discovering the role of telomeres and the telomerase enzyme in aging, has proven through years of research that mantra-based meditation techniques (such as Kirtan) significantly boost the secretion of the telomerase enzyme.
To summarize the key benefits of meditation proven by these international universities and clinics over the last 30 years:
Relieves stress
Prevents premature aging
Triggers the “well-aging” process by lengthening telomeres
Improves sleep quality
Alleviates heart palpitations
Lowers high blood pressure and reduces blood pressure variance
Facilitates physical and mental detoxification
Reduces anxiety, worry, and various fears
Heals and improves relationships
Brings inner peace
Awakens creativity and intuition
Strengthens the immune system
Eliminates chronic fatigue
Enhances the ability to focus and strengthens concentration
Fosters a less judgmental attitude toward oneself and others