Health And Wellness, Balancing Mind, Body And Soul

Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open. - B.K.S. Iyengar

Health and wellness. What does it encompass for you? A sound mind? A healthy body? Is your image based on what others think fits this profile? Are you willing to take charge and find out what health means for you? After all, this is your life.

When approaching the subject of health and wellness, it is important to learn more about ourselves and what we want. We each know how much effort it takes on a day to day basis to make things work. There is stress, you can't get away from it. There is work, you can't survive without it. There are lessons to learn, lessons to teach, people to deal with, a journey to experience. Our body and minds need and thrive on all this. But what are we really trying to find when we talk about health and wellness?

Perhaps some would say "to feel good every day of my life!"

Let's look at that then from all possible aspects.

To be healthy requires balance and moderation in all areas. This includes a proper diet and exercise for our physical body, and equal care and nourishment for our mental and spiritual sides.

Choice Creates Our Health And Wellness

We begin to apply health and wellness to our lives by making conscious descisions about what we participate in. Whether we are healthy and glowing, or sick and depleted, it all starts with a mental choice. Many times it seems to not matter to people what they do, therefore they justify self-damaging choices.

For example, teenagers often make the excuse, "You're only young once" to justify making irresponsible choices, especially when it comes to their health. Drugs, alcohol, smoking, even food become vices that control their waking hours.

Addictions generally start by making an unhealthy choice. Many times that choice is justified by the person, at least at first, because of what they may be going through at the time. When a point is reached when they have had enough, the addict will make huge efforts to quit. Then starts the vicious cycle of quitting and relapsing. One seemingly insignificant choice therefore causing a lifetime of physical and mental suffering.

All is not lost, however. It is possible to overcome addiction. Especially when the core problem is dealt with, most of the time being an emotion (many who suffer from addictions have very low self-esteem and self-worth).

One thing to keep in mind is our minds attract what we focus on. Most recovering addicts focus too heavily on avoiding the problem at all costs, therefore, they are always thinking about it, which actually attracts the problem back to them. So, one secret of overcoming addiction is to find out what they do want in life and focus on that. When this is done, the addiction then will lose its hold and power over them, because it is no longer focused upon.

Knowledge is power. Becoming educated about which choices are harmful and which are helpful is one of the most powerful ways of making sure you stay in control of your life. Whenever you are faced with making a decision that is potentially life-changing, educate yourself on the subject. There are always alternatives to unhealthy choices.

All Health And Wellness Starts In Your Head

There is a mind-body connection that is undeniable. Any time the body has an illness you can be sure negativity started somewhere, sometime in the mind. It may have started years before, slowly working its way through the body to eventually show up in the form of disease. Negativity of any sort creates a vibrational energy that causes imbalance.

So we find that your state of being, in this case your health, is affected heavily by your thinking. The thoughts we think start a chain reaction in the body. An event happens in your life to cause an emotion. You choose to react to that emotion by feeling a certain way. That feeling happens again and again, therefore imprinting itself on your subconscious mind and turns to a belief. That belief eventually forms a habit. That habit shapes your life. Can you see that the undoing of this process would take some time and effort? We are not the way we are because we one day woke up that way. We have created our reality, whatever it is, whether consciously or unconsciously. The same is true of our health.

On The Road To Better Health And Wellness

Some easy and effective ways of creating a more healthful life include:

• Thinking Positively. If negativity can cause illness, then positivity can cause health. It's as simple as that. Try seeing the world through positive and grateful eyes. It's hard to be negative when you have this attitude.
• Walking. Any exercise is good for the body, but walking is one of the best low-impact ways of achieving good overall health. It's easy, doesn't take any special equipment and can be done anywhere and at any time.
• Changing your eating habits. This is sometimes easier said than done, however there is a trick that is easy to remember and promises great results. Just be sure to eat your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day (or more), and make at least half of those raw. If you do this, you will eat less, be more energetic, lose weight, and have better health and wellness.
• Getting enough sleep. Most adults require 7-8 hours of sleep per night, however, many only get 5-6 hours. This can be disasterous to our bodies. Lack of sleep has been linked to weight gain, increased stress and depression, not to mention a myriad of diseases. Many costly mistakes and accidents have happened due to lack of sleep. In fact, many feel driving drowsy is as irresponsible as driving drunk. Try to get your sleep, you'll be happier and live longer.
• Laughing. The next time you need to recharge, try adding some humor to your life. Among other things, a good chuckle burns calories, increases blood flow to your heart, boosts your immune system, lowers blood pressure, and reduces hormones associated with stress. And you thought reading the funnies was its own reward!
• Getting enough sunlight. It is estimated that up to 70 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient. This deficiency is linked to numerous health problems including, diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. The good news is there is a very easy fix. It only requires about 15 minutes per day of sun exposure to generate your daily dose of vitamin D. Studies show between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to be the best time of day to get maximum UVB rays (the kind that produce the highest concentration of vitamin D). Try getting out for your daily walk, cleaning your yard or doing some gardening.
• Rejuvenating ourselves. It is so important to take time out for you. Set aside a doable amount of time every day to recharge. Do whatever you enjoy. Whether it's reading, taking a bubble bath, or even taking a once in a while mini-vacation. Doing so will produce a happier and healthier you.
• Whenever possible, go green. The more you are able to weed the toxins and pollution from your life, the better. Making small changes will affect your health dramatically. Ways to do this include using environmentally friendly products for cleaning and self-care, eating organic meats and dairy products, growing your own garden (organic produce is the best for you), and getting lots of fresh, clean air.

Finding your definition of health and wellness is ultimately your own responsibility. Just like everything else in life, we must be accountable for the way we treat ourselves. Life has a way of teaching us this lesson, sooner or later. If something is out of sorts, or hurting, it is our own responsibility, and no one else's, to find the answer to our problem. If what we are currently experiencing is not what we want, it makes sense to start making the changes necessary to create the life we DO want.

Creating our own health and wellness starts from within. It requires a shift in our thinking. Years and years of believing a certain way will take time to change. The question is are we willing to make that change. It all starts with a willingness.

We cannot worry about what has happened, the past is gone. We cannot worry about the future, it has not happened yet. All we have is the moment we are in. In this moment there is the chance to change whatever we want. The moment we are in is all we ever truly have.

The question then comes down to this: Do you truly honor who you are with every choice you make for your body? If you can say yes, every time, then you are on the road to achieving health and wellness.

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