Introduction
Thank you for the support and kind words about Tartan Vitalis. But one question remains: “Why Tartan Vitalis, and what does your logo mean?”
Well, if you indulge me, I’ll explain, and I hope it all makes as much sense to you as it does to me.
Those who know me know I am committed to Holistic Health and Wellbeing and have been since the Betterlife4u days. So when I decided to open a platform/store, I wanted to reflect the new post covid reality and my (probably revised) views of the Holistic Health and Wellbeing version I wanted to promote.
Tartan Vitalis
Hence Tartan Vitalis was born. The logo is probably the best place to start. First of all - the tartan. What’s that got to do with anything? I’m a very proud Scot, but there is more to it than that.
Tartan is a fabric with a long and colourful history and associated with Scotland for centuries. It is a pattern made up of different coloured stripes that intersect at right angles to create a plaid design. One of Scotland’s earliest known references to tartan dates back to the 16th century. In 1538, a Scottish bishop named John Lesley wrote about a “striped plaid” worn by the Scottish clans. The word “plaid” was used to refer to the garment itself, a large piece of woollen cloth draped over the shoulder and fastened with a belt. Over time, the term “tartan” came to be used to describe the distinctive pattern of the cloth itself. While tartan is often associated with Scotland, it has become a global symbol of heritage, identity, and tradition.
We take a holistic approach to supporting physical, mental, and emotional health to achieve balance. This philosophy emphasises the interdependence of these elements. It recognises that real health is not merely the absence of disease but instead seeks to identify the underlying causes of sickness and disease. Looking across the whole person rather than treating individual symptoms.
So, for me, tartan, with its interconnectedness, balance and harmony, serves as a powerful metaphor for holistic health and wellbeing.
Tartan and You
Each colour in tartan represents a different aspect of our wellbeing. In the past, these colours were chosen based on dye availability and to reflect the land’s natural hues. Today, however, we recognise that each colour has deeper meanings: red symbolises the physical body; blue represents the mind; green embodies the emotions, while yellow signifies the spirit. Just as each colour in tartan is crucial for creating an overall design, each aspect of our health is essential for achieving holistic wellness and happiness.
Recipe for Tartan
Red stripes often provide the foundation for other colours in the same way that physical wellness provides a foundation for mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Taking care of physical health through proper diet, exercise, and sleep lays the groundwork for achieving holistic health and balance.
Click to link to this great book on yoga poses and daily routines
Blue symbolises the mind and reminds us of the importance of our thoughts, beliefs, and outlooks. Taking care of our mental health is as essential as physical fitness, so we must identify and resolve issues to stay healthy. We can do this through activities like mindfulness, meditation, yoga and therapy.
The colour green symbolises who we are at our core, representing our emotional beings. Recognising and expressing our emotions in healthy ways, such as writing in a journal, speaking with a friend, or practising gratitude, is essential. These help us maintain emotional equilibrium and overall wellbeing.
The colour yellow symbolises the soul and our bond to something bigger than ourselves. Finding a way to grow spiritually - whether through religion, spiritual practice, or immersion in nature - allows us to find direction and understanding in life.
Of course, our Hunting Robertson tartan doesn’t have yellow, but we do have black, a strong colour that exudes authority and makes you feel secure and protected, and white, which portrays the sense of being complete and represents openness, truth, kindness, healing, and positivity.
Holistic Wellbeing
But Holistic Wellbeing has two aspects, the internal and the external. That is why the store has two main collections - ‘You’ and ‘Your World’.
‘You’ is all about you - a range of physical and digital products to support your mind, body, emotional and spiritual health. This is the area which covers all the things that people would generally associate with a Holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
‘Your World’, on the other hand, is all about the things outside you that impact you. Here we consider your Home and Garden, Friends and Family, Pets and Work. All of the areas impact positively or negatively on your wellbeing. Again, we will provide a range of primarily physical products which I hope will surprise, support or delight you and play a part in making sure that everything in your world positively serves you and allows you to maintain and increase your wellbeing.
Click to view this fun dog shaped bluetooth speaker
Logo
I hope the logo makes more sense to you now, with its tartan, globe and mouse. The tartan represents ‘You’; the globe reflects that as a digital platform, we operate across the globe, but more importantly, it means ‘Your World’. The mouse squeaks for itself, I think!
Name
As for the name - Tartan Vitalis, well, I've explained Tartan. And Vitalis is Latin for life, hence our name and subtitle which is our reason for being ‘pertaining to life’. So we will focus on bringing you physical and digital products to support you in living a balanced, happy and healthy holistic life.
Summary
Tartan Vitalis, like tartan with its intricate and purposeful patterns, aims to support overall health and wellbeing. Taking a holistic approach and weaving together physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs and broader aspects, we aim to help you experience improved wellness and healthier living.
We must recognise how each element of our wellbeing contributes to a greater sense of balance and stability. So, when you come across our logo, the tartan army, or even just a tartan pattern in the future, pause to reflect on how taking care of all aspects of your health and life can bring you closer to achieving overall wellbeing.
Take Care!
Audrey