Body, Mind, and Spirit
What better way to end these blogs on Traditional Chinese Medicine and holistic wellness principles than with body, mind, and spirit and looking at why these three are so crucial in your life.
What is Body?
That can look like taking steps to become a healthier you and guiding your body into a life where you stay away from disease and illness. Making sure your blood is not stagnated and mostly alkaline because once your body is acid many issues can form such as cancer. Having more awareness of your body and knowing when something feels off so that you can fix it right away instead of having symptoms linger. Good health will have you feel your best with your mindset and body especially when you’re nourished properly.
What is Mind?
Being in a good headspace and knowing how to deal with stressors in life that you can adapt positively and learn how to not make the situation larger than it has to be. Stress is a large part of our lives since we all deal with a significant amount of it but how do we detach ourselves so that we live an overall healthy lifestyle. Learning how to meditate and be in the right mindset so that other issues can’t hinder your mind. Learning how to take some time for yourself is the most important. Find a hobby that is for only you to enjoy whether it's pottery, yoga, running club, or cooking. Much of this is knowing when to take a mental break and not only breaks but stepping away from the overloads of life and coming back to it when you have the capacity. Having clarity in your life will make all the difference for your everyday decision-making.
What is Spirit?
That is your essence, who and what you are. Giving your body adequate amounts of sleep helps this part of your health when you let your body rest everything feels balanced. It’s also having healthy relationships in your life whether it's family, friends, and significant others. Shen or spirit is finding your path and what you need to do to be who you truly are. Some health issues are said to deplete your spirit and in Traditional Chinese Medicine this part is located in the heart which is located higher in your body and closer to heaven. It is what makes you feel alive and gives you a spark in your life and helps brightens up your mental health. When you are depleted of shen or spirit then there’s a disconnection to the body and that can lead to anxiety, depression, moodiness, and other issues.
How do you become centered with your body and the question you should ask is what do you do for yourself?
I’ve asked this question many times with a few of my clients, and each time a light bulb goes off and they realize they never make time for themselves. It may seem simple enough but are you taking the time to recharge and find your center. Just sitting sometimes, meditating, and decompressing in the morning or late evenings can help you find your balance. The simple downtime just to take a hot bath with magnesium salts or essential oils. What about taking a nice walk after work or early morning and making a warm tea or some hot water with the lemon before looking at your phone. It is the little things such as reading a book and making time for you that will help you find your passion, your motivation, your balance to where you want your body, mind, and spirit, and the energy you want to project into the world.
Here are some helpful changes and ways to become a centered version of yourself in your day to day life:
Eat nourishing foods
Stay hydrated
Meditate
Read books, articles, or magazines
Listen to a podcast
Get a good nights rest
Do morning yoga
Light some candles, incense, or if you have a diffuser put essential oils wherever you need some in your home
Find a hobby such as an herb garden, pottery, or sewing
Do something that will make you become the best version of yourself. There is no age limit to getting more education, learning a new task, or taking up something you always wanted to. Most people I know don’t do anything for themselves but why not? We buy all these frivolous things to occupy our time and help ourselves such as anti-aging products but why not do that for our well-being.