Bob Joseph, President of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., has written the informative article What is an Indigenous Medicine Wheel?. The Wellness Wheel centrepiece in “Wellness: A Question of Balance” and the Indigenous Medicine Wheel demonstrate similar principles.
There isn’t a simple answer to the question as medicine wheels (sometimes called hoops) come in more than one form and their significance and use is culture-specific. There is, however, one fundamental similarity besides the shape – medicine wheels represent the alignment and continuous interaction of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realities.
The circle shape represents the interconnectivity of all aspects of one’s being, including the connection with the natural world. Medicine wheels are frequently believed to be the circle of awareness of the individual self; the circle of knowledge that provides the power we each have over our own lives.
