Optimal Wellness
By Naturopath Kim Minos.
Our theme at the Healing Rooms this month is Optimal Wellness and how we can achieve this. Well actually our theme at the clinic is optimal wellness every month but we felt we would like to highlight various areas of optimal wellness for you this month in particular as we head into the season of spring with new cycles of life regenerating.
Spending time being in nature can be a wonderful way of connecting deeper with ourselves and re-assessing what is important in life. Being in nature can help us to experience that we are not separate and that all of life is interconnected and that we are part of a greater wholeness. Walking amongst the tress, feeling the earth beneath our feet can be grounding and de-stressing, we can let go of what is old and that no longer serves us and be open to what will bring about change and growth in ways which support our overall wellness. Spending time in nature, appreciating the beauty and wonder of nature can be a healing and regenerative experience.
Wellness is more than just an absence of illness and disease it is about achieving a level of harmony within one's life physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It comes from feeling ourselves in nurturing life, supporting and sustaining ways that encompasses all areas of our lives. Anything which affirms and supports our health and wellbeing contributes to optimal wellness. The food we eat on a daily basis contributes to our health, the way we feel about our food, the care we put into it and the life force within the food, all add to our wellbeing. In this way we assist our bodies to regenerate physically and in the healthiest way possible. Our feelings, our emotions our relationships, our activities and our environment all contribute to our wellbeing.
Listening to our heart and responding to what feels supportive and uplifting can improve our level of self-acceptance, care and nurture. When we respond to what we feel is true for us, we become more authentic, our level of self-esteem improves and we make choices which are then supportive of greater levels of self-love and self-worth. We choose feelings, thoughts, friendships and activities which reflect how we feel and are more self-loving. Eating food that is fresh, natural, full of nutrients and unprocessed is a healthy lifestyle choice which also supports improved feelings of wellness, greater levels of energy and fills our body with nutrients which support life, this makes us feel better physically and we know we are doing something positive for ourselves.
Exercise is an important part of maintaining optimal wellness, it improves muscle tone which is an important factor in remaining healthy, along with reduced stress levels, improved hormone balances and improved moods - we just feel better after we exercise. Similarly when we engage in friendships and activities which are supportive and life affirming this contributes to our overall wellness and reflects how we feel about ourselves. We are more likely to make choices which are better for our health and wellness.
