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As long as you shall live
Isn’t this as long as you would like to have health? As long as you deserve health? Is it possible at least to have better control and more choice in experiencing ongoing health?
Look at the list of theoretically preventable diseases induced by chronic stress, ailments and illnesses which are cardiovascular, immune related, respiratory, digestive, headaches, backaches, and even cancer. Given the commonality of these ailments, and the huge medical and pharmaceutical industry that has sprung up around them, it would seem that it is difficult to navigate the labyrinth of life without falling prey to one or another of these. And that is if you can also avoid accidents, natural or unnatural disasters. Moreover, in the conventional “wisdom” there is always a second opinion, and a third…
Rather than succumbing to statistics, or conditioning ourselves to attract the things we most fear, perhaps we can forget all of that and take a fresh new perspective. What if we saw health not as something defined by the doctor, but as the feeling of being alive? What if we could develop the ability to partake of the life force just as we breathe air and drink water?
We can free ourselves from the conventional customs that have created so many of these ailments, including our own bad habits and behaviors. It is possible to experience health as never before, if you approach it in a new way.
Eight degrees of freedom
I suggest 8 categories you can use for Health: Food, Movement, Breathing, Sleep, Skinship, Resilience, Humor, and Love. Download a HEALTH MANDALA featuring each of these categories, so that you can begin to create your own customized approach to a healthy lifestyle. I selected these categories because they are broad enough to contain both traditional and alternative approaches to health. They have all been demonstrated to have an impact on our health and well-being. Each category covers an area over which you have some control, and in which you can make improvements. Follow these eight degrees of freedom and it will release you from the path of the beaten.
Remember that no one pattern fits all. The results you get depend on the actions you take. Health is ultimately a combination of your genetic predisposition, the cumulative effects of your lifestyle and discipline, and your mental attitude. All of these combine to make the difference, so it makes sense to take a comprehensive approach.
Without recommending any particular health method or system, here are some of the factors to consider when you incorporate these elements in your lifestyle.
- Food: The quality and quantity of what you eat, food combinations, preparation, diet, cuisine, as well as your enjoyment and beliefs about food.
- Movement: How you use and treat your body, the quality and frequency of your movement, how you practice, enjoy, and improve, as well as the mind-body connection.
- Breathing: The quality and depth of your breathing, how you use your breath in movement and speaking, as well as the connection between breathing and awareness.
- Sleep: Your sleep patterns and comfort, regularity, depth, and quality of your sleep, short naps, dreams, as well as relaxation and recovery.
- Skinship: Connection to your environment and to other people, hygiene, sensory experience, sexuality, as well as your aura and radiant energy.
- Resilience: Your ability to survive experiences unscathed, to make a comeback physically and mentally, as well as your spirit of continuous engagement.
- Humor: Laughter as a sign of a relaxed attitude, an open heart and a positive spirit, as well as the ability to enjoy life and make others feel good.
- Love: Taking good care of yourself and the ones you love, the spirit of giving and protection, as well as the power of healing.
Beating the odds
Here is a way of beating the odds presented in conventional “wisdom” which dictate the way most people think about health. Don’t build the platform for your health on a single idea. Diet will not save you, nor exercise, nor supplements, nor clean air. The strength of a chain is measured by its weakest link. Even if you manage to follow a nearly ideal regimen in one area, there is no guarantee that it will be strong enough to support your overall health. Let the elements you assemble in the eight areas of health form a far stronger safety net.
Assess your health by looking at the areas in which you hold the trump cards. Use them to help you overcome stress and even illness when you need to. Look also at the areas in which you can improve through training, changes in behavior, or specific action steps. Get coaching in the areas where you want to learn and when you need help. A positive attitude toward health over time can come to your rescue by tapping into deeper sources of energy. These are the resources that help in overcoming environmental influences and genetic predispositions, and help turn the odds in your favor.
Science is not as certain as it seems, as good scientists readily admit. There are many factors at work which we cannot see, for we do not live in a laboratory. We can encourage a healthy mix of elements that make us feel alive.
Health is life energy
Strive to increase it and share your energy of health with others. The goal is not to pretend that you can live forever, but rather to be full of energy and life as long as you live.
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