This article was written by ACHS student Rebeca Gonzalez for an assignment in her English 101 course. We are pleased to share it here on the blog.
What is Wellness?
Deepak Chopra once said that “When the mind is at peace, the internal energies awaken and work miracles in us, without any conscious effort on our part” (Chopra, 2013). Research made by The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (Corbin, 2003) defines wellness “as a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by the quality of life and a sense of well-being” (Research Digest, para.3).
It has been shown throughout the history of humanity that wellness is the connection with your body, your thoughts, and your soul. That is why we are constantly driven to seek a way to improve our lives, whether through study, relationships, or delving into the beautiful mysteries of spirituality. When we speak of wellness, we understand that it is a lifestyle that adapts to each person based on their beliefs and the internal force of change that drives us towards a complete spiritual awakening.
Have You Controlled the Course of the Life You Have Taken?
Every step you take in life is based on a decision, which prompts you to follow the path of your choice, giving you an experience. Those who decide to direct their lifestyle towards wellness discover a world full of internal and external opportunities. You then find that you have tools at your fingertips to create the life you want. Think of it this way, the world you develop is your canvas, and you are the artist who incorporates the colors you want to see in it. Those colors also manifest by taking care of your body, calming your mind, and changing your lifestyle to walk your path in peace. In this way, you allow your full potential to blossom and connect you to the situations and things you want.
What Can You Do to Create Wellness in Your Life?
I have always believed that the human being can achieve great things, starting from two essential keys to achieving it, discipline and willpower. Decide with an extreme force that you want to improve at all levels and start putting it into action. Start by changing your eating habits, adding foods enriched in nutrients and vitamins, incorporate exercise into your daily routine, and this will reward you by looking more fit and rejuvenated. Your mind is an essential tool you have to work on because your mental health depends on it. Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation article (Tang, YY. 2015) explains that mindfulness meditation practiced widely to reduce stress and promote health exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health. According to the (Higher Institute of Social and Socio-Health Studies (n.d), these benefits are:
- • Improves emotional intelligence: the practice of mindfulness by improving self-awareness helps to improve self-knowledge. These lead us to better recognition of emotions which leads to better management of interpersonal relationships.
- • Combat insomnia: mindfulness brings the body to a state of relaxation. It helps to ward off worries, and this is reflected in a lower level of cortical activation that leads to a favorable condition to encourage sleep.
- • Enhances creativity in the people who practice it: By bringing the mind to a calm state, mindfulness helps new ideas have more space in mental activity, thus displacing negative emotions.
Nourish Your Body, Nourish Your Being
Your body is the most sacred temple to which you owe respect and honor; it is for this reason that you must take care of it and consider the messages it sends you. This means that if your mind is loaded with negative thoughts and low vibration emotions, it will transmit it to your body in the form of illness. One of the things you can do to nourish your body and thus connect with your inner essence is to incorporate yoga practice, which is recognized as a form of mind-body medicine, thus ensuring a considerable energy boost that will make you gain health. In yoga, physical postures and breathing exercises improve muscle strength, flexibility, blood circulation, oxygen uptake, and hormone function (Parshad, 2004). When you take care of your body, you take care of your mind leading it to blossom through wellness.
Make Wellness Your Daily Habit
I always heard a good friend say that it only takes 21 days for the mind to adjust to a new habit. The current society in which we live resorts to negative habit patterns, thus creating a life full of dissatisfactions, but what would happen if we have the possibility of making our habits according to our goals? Would your reality change something?
The next time you feel frustrated and want to give up, apply this simple but effective tool to transform your life into endless blessings. You have enough power to modify your path the way you want, without fear and doubts, and you have a world of options to learn to tune in with your mind. I suggest you try one of the modern mindfulness apps called “Headspace,” it is my favorite, and it has helped me a lot in my internal change. Keep in mind that if you cannot push yourself, no one else will do it for you, so I leave you with a powerful reflection, what would you do if you were not afraid?
References
[1] Corbin, C. (2001). Toward a Uniform Definition of Wellness: A Commentary. President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest; Series 3 n15 Dec 2001. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED470691
[2] Chopra, D. (2013). Journey to wellness. https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:796d222f- 2722-441a-89ea-5abcfe4537ae
[3] Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales y Sociosanitarios. https://www.isesinstituto.com/noticia/el-mindfulness-y-sus-ventajas-para-la-salud
[4] Tang, YY. (2015, March 18). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 213-225 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
[5] Parshad, O. (2004). Role of yoga in stress management. The West Indian Medical Journal. https://europepmc.org/article/med/15352751
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. This article has not been reviewed by the FDA. Always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a student at the American College of Healthcare Sciences, the Institution that publishes this blog. However, all opinions are my own. This blog may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
About American College of Healthcare Sciences
American College founded in 1978, is a fully online accredited institute of higher education specializing in holistic health. Based in Portland, OR; our goal is to make research-driven and science-based holistic health education taught by industry-leading experts accessible to anyone anywhere while still giving students a hands-on experiential learning experience like a traditional college and a strong sense of community, school pride and student bond.This commitment to our students and graduates reflects in our current survey results that reflect 98% of our students would recommend ACHS to a friend or family member.We believe education is the most powerful tool for changing an individual and the world around us.
When a person enrolls as ACHS, it is vitally important that they graduate with tools they need to forge their own holistic and sustainable missions, build up their communities confidently and changing the face of healthcare with knowledge.
One Response
Everyone should get educated about mental health, especially students. It becomes really difficult to achieve our goals if we do not take care of our mental stability.
Good article by the way, I would surely want to read more.
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