It took me years to realize that I had an unhealthy relationship with my overall wellness. I wasted so
much time obsessing over my body, health and eating that I missed out on enjoyable experiences. I still struggle with maintaining a balance, but I have put into practice a few tips that keep me on track.
My first breakthrough came when I realized that ultimate wellness is to be at peace in mind, body and spirit.
At first, I thought this would be a difficult task. I imagined scenarios where I would be bogged down by all the attention to detail I thought it must require to master all three. To get you past this mental block and on your way to ultimate wellness I have included a bonus tip at the end of this post.
The easiest way to achieve mental peace is to start a daily practice.
Your practice will be individual and can be something as quick as a daily affirmation or a five to ten minute meditation. My personal routine involves meditation, prayer, affirmations and gratitude. I do not practice all of these every day, but meditation, prayer and affirmations are non-negotiable. This means that each day I block out at least 10 minutes for God and myself. Prayer is my time to talk with God and meditation is when I take the time to listen. I recently added daily affirmations to my list, which has allowed me to appreciate characteristics about myself that I usually overlook. Finally, my gratitude practice is something that I only do a few times a week. It may seem obvious, but writing out the things that you are grateful for changes your perspective. It brings them to the forefront of your mind and you tend to remember them throughout the day.
I realize that all of these are not for everyone, so I recommend you choose one or two and focus on them. If you find that your practice has room for growth add and subtract where necessary. My best advice is to commit to something you will actually implement.
Spiritual peace requires you to dig deeper and rise to the occasion of building a relationship with yourself.
There is absolutely no way to achieve mental peace without spiritual peace. The first step on the path to self-love is to let go. You have to let go of all the previously held judgments against yourself. There is no room for thoughts of why you are not quite where you want to be yet. In order to fully embrace this challenge you have to be willing to let go of life, as you know it. It is not always easy. There will be times when those thoughts creep in, but you need to be aware of those moments. Once you are aware you can choose to have a different thought. This practice will lead you to a place of forgiveness, which opens the door to freedom. I am warning you now that once you have experienced this freedom you will not want to return to your old way of life.
Body peace is a direct side effect of a healthy mental and spiritual state.
Two of the most talked about components of wellness are in fact the easiest changes to make once you have mental and spiritual peace. Diet and exercise are on everyone's radar these days and for good reason. When I speak of diet I am referring to lifestyle choices not a particular regimented program for eating. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing what to eat is that food is meant to nourish and fuel our bodies. This does not mean you can never eat anything simply for pleasure, but remember that as with most things in life you will only get as much as you put into it. So, if you choose not to give your body what it needs to remain healthy it will likely not show up when you need it to. A great way to get started is to eat one fully raw meal a day. This can be a juice or smoothie, fruits and vegetables or a hearty salad. Just remember to practice the rules of food combination that I discussed in this previous post to ensure you are getting the most out of your meals.
Movement as I like to refer to exercise is a key component to maintaining body peace. The release of endorphins will boost your mood and make you more productive throughout the day. Happy people feel more capable of pursuing their goals and aspirations. I have chosen yoga as my daily movement. I love the interconnectedness with body, mind and spirit. A great yoga session is the perfect way to practice all three of these tips at the same time. Whatever you choose make sure it is something you enjoy. The days of exercise being something you dread are over. Whether it is cycling, running, Pilates or any of the other seemingly infinite options available to us, I challenge you to set aside 4 hours a week for exercise.
This bonus tip will help you implement these practices with ease.
You do not have to master any of these tips. You simply have to be present and allow yourself not to always get it right. Witness when you have slipped up and decide to choose again. Every time you do this you are one step closer to feeling your best.
This is my morning Gratitude meditation:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiZ9AgdMpE
Thanks for sharing. I am always looking for new guided meditations.
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