Some days we wake up in the morning with zero energy wondering how we'll make it through the day. Other mornings we spring out of bed like a superhero ready to tackle our to-do list with efficiency and speed. One evening we receive unfortunate news and a few hours later we discover something amazing. Life is change, and establishing physical, mental, and emotional balance can often feel far out of reach, especially if everything around us is chaos.
We all need need solid ground to stand on, yet life continues to throw curveballs and knock us off our feet. But if we can approach our daily experience from a place of love through wholehearted wellness, we can feel more at peace, more centered, and more whole.
Wholehearted wellness is a simple practice that asks us to cultivate feelings of love in all areas of life in order to promote balance.
Let's start with exercise.
Meet yourself where you are! Whether you have an existing fitness routine or are thinking of creating one, you can only start exactly where you are. This means setting realistic goals without comparing yourself to others. We are all different with unique limitations and specialties, so we do what is best for us. We honor the strength of our bodies at any given moment, and from there we set goals and take action.
Try setting your next goal with a touch of wholehearted wellness: an energy of love.
"I hate the way I feel. I need to lose about 20 pounds and then I'll be happy" (Negative verbiage, not a whole lot of love).
OR:
"I don't feel great. My goal is to walk 30 minutes every morning, since I love walking and it makes me feel good. Plus, I know it will help me to lose weight." (Positive verbiage, self-compassion)
We then celebrate the fact that we are sticking to our goal and thank ourselves each time we do. If we miss a day, we don't shame ourselves, we love ourselves even for our shortcomings and do better the next time around.
We treat ourselves as we would a best friend.
When we use negative self-talk we may evoke feelings of shame, which places stress on the body and increases cortisol levels (the stress hormone). In essence, negative self-talk does more physiological and emotional damage than the single act of missing one day of exercise. It's not worth it.
By generating the energy of love in exercise, including the parts we might label as weaknesses, we bring ourselves back to balance. We strengthen our motivation to continue on.
The same goes for nutrition. Do you feel good about your diet? Does what you eat make you feel energized? Alive? Sluggish? Not motivated? Reflect. Listen to your body. It is important that we do not place restrictions on ourselves, as this generates a negative energy around our health. Try actively seeking out whole foods to nourish your body and mind, a positive action, knowing that by doing so, you are loving yourself. You are practicing wholehearted wellness. (And we don't shame ourselves for that piece of chocolate cake we had on Saturday!)
As equally important as getting out there and moving (and loving it) is rest. In fact rest is fundamental in reaping the benefits of exercise, as it gives our bodies time to integrate change. Rest not only includes sleep, it is also taking care of yourself in other ways that help you relax. Alternative relaxation might be massage, yoga, or curling up with a good book.
The only rule is: it must be something we enjoy that allows us to unwind.
Relaxation is also a practice! Many of us are not used to taking brain breaks, but carving out time for ourselves is essential in sustaining balance.
The single act of taking time for you is wholehearted wellness. Give yourself the gift of rest because it is an act of love, and to function as your best and balanced self, it is critical.
Creatively expressing ourselves is another thread in a balanced lifestyle. How do you express yourself? Creativity is within all of us. It is simply the act of creating something. By engaging in creativity, we release ideas swirling around in our heads and hearts, and we release stress. So go on, create something! It can be anything as long as you enjoy stand it makes you feel good. Just like we were born to move, we were born to create. It is part of being a human; a puzzle piece in building and sustaining balance.
Wholehearted wellness is a practice. Exercise, nutrition, relaxation, and creativity are all components of balance where we can practice infusing more love energy, but it is best to start implementing it in something that already exists in your life. Maybe your current regimen includes none of the above, or maybe you are already performing all four. You can only start wherever you are, so choose something that's already there, perhaps your career, your role as a parent, anything.
When we cultivate an energy of love in anything we do, we are practicing wholehearted wellness. It is loving the whole experience, even when we think we are failing. We just keep going, and we love all the positives and negatives along the way. We see everything through a filter of love, and this can powerfully shift our daily experience.