Seeking Overall Wellness
Seeking Overall Wellness
Overall wellness includes more than just physical health we believe strongly and operate our practice on the premise that wellness includes the mind, body and spirit. This month’s focus will be on how to increase wellness in these 3 areas. Progressing towards a goal is impossible unless you begin with defining those goals.
Wellness, to us means you are not merely free of illness or surviving. Wellness means you are thriving, progressing and making choices minute by minute that propel you towards your overall life goals of thriving and basking in the sunshine of peace and joy.
Spiritual wellness is about seeking meaning and purpose in your life while also allowing you to appreciate, find meaning and harmony in your life experiences.
Wellness of the body is to engage in activities that maintain the machine and help it be strong.
Wellness of the mind is more than just mental health but a feeling of gratitude, a positive outlook and connecting your 5 senses to keep the systems of the body thriving.
Utilization of all 5 senses (smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight and movement) is a great way to begin developing overall wellness. During times when I am feeling unwell I reflect back to a time when I felt an overall sense of wellness in my life growing up on horseback and spending time in the outdoors. The motion of the horse; all of the smells surrounding the experience; the sights of the mountains and meadows; sounds of birds singing; grass rustling and my horse whickering; the feel of leather in my hands, wind in my hair and sun on my face along with the taste of the air, dirt of the trail and spring water on my tongue, I couldn’t have felt more whole, intune and alive. How do we create this in everyday living is the challenge I see to becoming well. What activities can you do that involve all the sense and create wellness everyday;
Walking: Taking a brisk 20 minute walk everyday while being mindful of your surroundings, having a grateful heart and really attuning to what is happening in your body is one way to promote everyday wellness and engage all 5 sense.
Yoga: This practice is another great way to increase the attention to your body, hone the machine and increase the mind, body and spiritual connection for an overall sense of wellness.
Swimming: A great way to exercise, move your body and engage all 5 senses.
Dancing, and I don’t mean just in a structured class but really dancing, moving your body and enjoying the freedom of movement, sounds of the music, sights around you (maybe even the stare’s of others), smell of freedom and taste of sweat.
What are ways to find wellness and engage all 5 senses?