January…New Year’s Day…a fresh start….a time to clear away the old…invite in and make space for the new. Resolutions…thoughts and dreams…starting over.
Where do you want to be in 6 months? A year? How do you want to be? How do you want to be showing up in your life?
And how are you going to make that happen? What actions do you need to take, what supports do you need to put in place to allow yourself to make the changes you are seeking?
Are there things that you need to release to make space for something new in your life? Habits? Possessions? Relationships? The celebration of the New Year provides us a good time to pause and take stock of where we are, and what we might choose to change in our lives. This might be a good time to reflect on where you might be in balance and where you might be out of balance, in each of the Five Stones of Wellness.
Healthful Eating
How is your nutrition? Are you eating foods that nourish your body in the way that supports your vitality, strength and overall sense of wellbeing? Are you choosing fresh, whole and when possible organic foods and avoiding processed foods and obvious sources of toxins? Are you eating a rainbow of colors and getting plenty of fresh, clean water?
Balanced Movement
How is your movement? Is exercise or movement a regular part of your life? Are you doing an activity that you love that moves and stretches your body? If not, is there a change you can make to start to bring some more movement into your life on a daily basis? Our bodies are meant to move, and our health is much better if we are in good balance in this aspect of our lives.
Integrative and Functional Healthcare
And what about your healthcare? Are you approaching your health from a strong foundation of integrative care? Are you using Functional Medicine to help identify the root causes of your symptoms or conditions? With a functional medicine approach, we “peel back the layers of the onion” until we identify the core imbalances and then help you rebuild balance form the inside out.
Mindful Stress Management
How is your stress? How impactful is the stress in your life? And how do you feel you handle it? Are you overwhelmed? Or do you find and take the time to practice mindfulness and self-care that allows you to find some balance. A regular practice of mindfulness can greatly improve our response to the stress in our lives, and helps us develop and maintain more resilience.
Interconnected Living
Our spiritual health and wellbeing is best supported by having a connection to something bigger than ourselves; whether that be through a formal religion or a more personal form of spirituality. But this is a critical aspect to our overall health and a place where we can also be out of balance. How balanced do you feel in this aspect of your life?
As we reflect on each of these Five Stones of Wellness in our individual lives, it can provide us a roadmap to guide us decide where we might be less in balance and where we want to make changes. So my invitation to each of you is to spend some time in reflection in these days around the New Year celebration, and determine if there are changes you want to make as we move into 2019. If there are, be clear in your intention and make a plan to move towards making the changes; one step at a time. And I would encourage you to consider starting with a plan to clear away the old to make room for the new; whether this involves emotional release or a physical cleanse; it’s a great way to start to make a change. The Mindful Way is the perfect program for creating lasting changes into the new year.
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