Dear friends,
As we find ourselves in the midst of these strange, unprecedented times, I’d like to discuss the importance of Whole Body Wellness. Perhaps, it’s more important now than ever to take care of ourselves. We needn’t complicate this. Actually the simpler the plan is, the more effective and fruit-bearing it may be. But it’s important we do it! Put the oxygen mask on your self now, so you can be of good use to yourself and others.
Before I proceed, as a quick reminder, Whole Body Wellness entails the Mind, Body and Soul. These areas are individual and yet codependent. That is why we take a different approach to caring for each three sectors, knowing that each success is directly related to the whole.
Let’s begin now by examining the Mind. We are a product of our thoughts.
And thus, during these times, we need a good defense. Perhaps you, like me, have encountered an abundance of negativity, fear, division and criticism which leaves one feeling “down in the dumps”. The plan to rectify this can be quite simple really. We can protect our eyes and ears by limiting how much news we consume, limiting communication with the “Debbie Downer’s and Negative Nancy’s” in our lives, blocking negative influencers on social media, and so on. There are so many beautiful things happening right now to pick our spirits up. Like companies, organizations and community resources pulling together to help the homeless; citizens sewing masks for medical workers; neighbors like Traci and Matt Nestheide giving people a reason to laugh with their homeschooling antics; and teacher friends, like Kelly Olliges and Kim Weyer, who are encouraging their students to keep moving and virtually learning by sharing fun ideas and videos. Good is being radiated all over the world right now. We simply need to dial in and receive it (and call-block that negativity)!
Moving on to our Body. The message is to move! Our bodies house all the hormones and chemicals that affect our minds as well as our internal bodily systems (the human body has 11 organ systems in all). Each system depends directly, or indirectly, on the other. And thus, poor performance in one area of the body can cause dysfunction in the others. “Based on the type, timing and severity of the applied stimulus, stress can exert various actions on the body ranging from altercations in homeostasis or life-threatening effects.” (You can read more about that here.) But MOVING, whether it’s calming breathing exercises (that slow the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and improves oxygen intake) or some form of physical exercise, will help our internal systems run at their optimal levels. So, for the sake of your sanity and health, get movin’.
The last piece of the Whole Body Wellness Pie features our soul. Why is our Spiritual Health so
important? Let’s contemplate this: “Our souls will remain restless until they rest in the Lord”. Friends, we look to our Government for answers. We look to Science for answers. We look to our History Books for answers. But which can we fully trust? Our foundation of trust must first be rooted in the Lord. That is why we pray during these dire times: that God will reveal strong leaders, new vaccinations, and solutions to the multitude of problems that lie before us. There is only one thing in life that is constant and true. So let’s turn up our Spiritual dials to make contact with this higher power that transcends space and time, and to entrust our lives to Him so that he may hold us in the palm of His hands.
Whole Body Wellness: it might not remove the obstacles in our path but it will make the tough times more tolerable. So take care of yourself and keep the plan simple: Protect (the eyes and ears), Move (the body) and Pray. I’ll be praying for you, and whatever role you find yourself in now, may you do it well. Wishing you the best.
Peace, health and happiness.