The Top Ten Wellness Essentials

Wellness is a state of being that begins with an increased awareness about yourself and the status of your health. Before one can really embark on this journey of establishing good health or maintaining good health these following concepts will give you some helpful guidelines. As quoted by my friend Michael Tierra in his book The Way Of Herbs, “Health is reflection of the balance with the different aspects of ourselves (body, mind, spirit) in relation to our environment, our associations, our experiences and our food”. This is what is referred to as a holistic viewpoint.

The realization of the total self with all its aspects is an age-old concept that we tend to forget about. We get caught up in the fast paced activities of our world and we fail many times to see the greater plan of what life has to offer. Everything in our world revolves around duality. This means that there is always a cause and effect relationship when it comes to life. When relating this to health there is an old Chinese proverb that states, “A person will get well when they are tired of being sick”.

This brings us to the first concept:

Take Responsibility For Your Own Health – taking charge of your own health is a very important part of getting well. Realizing that you are the cause of your condition is a good beginning. We have been conditioned to go outside of ourselves and ask the professional what is wrong or what do I need to do to alleviate my problems.

Conventional medicine has fostered this approach, which takes you out of the process. You live inside your body and what is needed is a fostering of your own intuition in regard to your health. This process begins with a mental understanding of your imbalanced condition and what are the causes and how can you begin to make daily changes in lifestyle that will aids the bodies own healing power.

All healing comes from within and the body heals itself is the cornerstone of all natural healing. The next step is to implement activity that will aid this change. This is where complimentary therapies and self education help to guide and direct your energies. Then you have to wait and see what results you will experience. Getting well is a process and patience is necessary.

Maintain A Positive Mental Attitude – a positive outlook on life is an essential to wellness. Even in adversity, maintaining a good outlook will help to overcome obstacles that seem to confront us. Naturally, optimistic people are more inclines to look after their own health. They are more likely to work out, eat a balanced diet, and get regular medical check-ups. They respond to illness actively, consulting their health care practitioner promptly and following responsible treatment plans.

Eat Wholesome And Nutritional Foods – diet is very important in maintaining good health. The bodies RNA and DNA are programmed for real foods (whole grains, beans, organic fruits and vegetables and clean water): Not the diet of the standard American diet laden with over processed, devitalized, and chemical rich foods. With the excesses of fat and sugar in our diet it’s no wonder why we suffer from many degenerative diseases.

Exercise Regularly – as the old saying goes, “use it or lose it”. This applies aptly when dealing with exercise. Exercise helps the body to eliminate toxins and helps increase metabolic activity. I recommend walking and stretching programs like tai chi or yoga.

Be Moderate And Avoid Excesses – if you will be moderate in your lifestyle then many disease processes can be reversed quickly when they appear. This applies to wrongful diet, smoking, and excessive consumption of drugs and alcohol.

Get Adequate Rest – getting good rest means good sleeping habits but also relates to slowing down our lives a bit. Again we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to take a break.

Learn To Deal With Stress – stress is one of the biggest contributors to ill health. Stress affects all parts of your body form the nervous system to the digestive. Of course we are confronted with stress everyday. How our bodies maintain under these stressors is the question. Good diet, herbal remedies, and nutritional supplements help protect us. Learn relaxation techniques to help reduce stress.

Manage Your Time – the operative word here is to manage. We know time is a major part of our reality but what we need to determine is how are we going to let time rule our lives. It is great to take your watch off and see how many times you look at your wrist or get nervous because you don’t know the time. Managing your time will aid your process of getting well by reducing stress and letting you really enjoy life activities.

Connect With Nature: Breathe Fresh Air And Get Plenty Of Sunshine – most of us spend most of our time indoors. Because we are part of nature when we spend more time outdoors we get more in tune with the natural rhythms of our planet. It helps to foster a sense of calmness and an appreciation for life. It’s great to take your shoes off and walk through the grass.

Spend Time With Your Loved Ones – it is very important for good health to have healthy relationships with your family and friends. The support network you build has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself. This is a give and take relationship. I always like the statement giving equals receiving and receiving equals giving. The people around you will support you in time of need especially if there is a open and close relationship.

These basic guidelines have the potential for you to become whole again. Remember that this is a process and takes time to develop. Make your own assessments and make the commitment to help yourself be well.

I would like to wish you all a happy, safe and healthy holiday season.

Article by herbalist Dave Hawkins, MH, CNC