I have been a physical fitness trainer for over 5 years now and I have often wondered if its the fitness of the body alone that's key to good health. Over the years I have realized that good health is not just about your physical well being but also your mental and emotional well being. I like to call this, holistic fitness of body, mind, and emotions. And in this post, I will be talking about each of these aspects in depth.
Physical Well Being: For maintaining good physical health, there are four things you need to bring your awareness to:
A. Personal Hygiene
B. Nutrition
C. Exercise
D. Sleep
Maintaining personal hygiene, planning and adhering to a balanced diet plan rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, exercising daily for a minimum of 30 minutes, getting proper sleep for 6-8 hours everyday is essential for maintaining a healthy body.
I know it sounds very basic, but it's important that we revisit these seemingly simple parameters regularly. As humans we are bound to fall off track. I understand there will be days when you are swamped with work and don't find the time to pay attention to what you are eating, there will be days when you are out partying and don't get a good night's rest. And that's ok. Just don't make this the norm. Let them be exceptions. Every day you get a chance to decide how you want to live, try to make appropriate choices that serve you in the long run.
Personal Hygiene :
Do you wash your hands before eating food, keep your nails trimmed, and keep your living space, clean? These are often things we remind our children to do, but do we do these ourselves? We need to ensure we pay equal attention to our personal hygiene just as we pay attention to our kids personal hygiene.
Nutrition :
What we need is not a diet plan, but a common sense approach to eating. We all know what foods are good for us and what foods deplete our energy and make us sick. But do we pay attention to our knowledge and intelligence, in regard to making a healthy choice? If we can pay attention to that intelligent voice within more often, then we can enjoy good health.
We need to start paying attention to the forces within us that prevent us from making healthy choices. The moment we become conscious of them they will start to lose their power over us.
For many of us, it is emotional eating - eating out of boredom or to relieve stress. Food is never a solution to our problems, and using food to relieve boredom or stress is actually the abuse of it. The purpose of food is to nourish our body and provide us with necessary energy to carry out our day to day activities with ease. This is not to say, that you should not enjoy your food, or eat for pleasure. You can enjoy every meal you eat, but don't use it as a means to escape from life's everyday problems.
Learn to find creative ways to stay focused and increase the nutrition quotient of your meals.
Some ideas that I have been using for adhering to a nutritious meal plan are:
# I have a chart pasted on my refrigerator with different healthy options for breakfast/snack/lunch and dinner. So when I am running out of ideas for a meal I take a quick look at the chart for options available.
# I make sure that I have my kitchen stocked each weekend with fresh fruits/vegetables/nuts that I would need for the week ahead.
# I created a what's app group called, "Daily meal log", where the group members post their meal plans and also log what they eat through the day.
These practices help me stay focused and be conscious of what I am putting on my plate. Even if I get off track ( which I will admit I do ), I know I have these tools and get right back on track. You can try these and see if they work for you.
Daily Exercise :
Our bodies are designed for movement and will function best when we move it and keep it active. Make sure you do some form of exercise that you enjoy daily. In my fitness classes, we do strengthening one day, yoga one day, dance one day, Pilates one day, interval training one day. This way we look forward to each days workout and enjoy ourselves while giving our body what it needs - movement. You can also choose from a wide range of activities such as walking, running, swimming, dancing, strength training, or just playing a sport you like. Set aside 30 minutes a day for this. Make this non negotiable. Find an accountability partner to motivate you on days you feel lazy.
And if you are just starting out on your fitness journey and don't know where to start, take a look at the following videos from my YouTube channel and get started now:
https://youtu.be/bcW7nsbh2mw
https://youtu.be/piRvp3YFOaE
https://youtu.be/vHgbhUX483k
https://youtu.be/u0I_WNd2uPw
https://youtu.be/lZLyWBvsJ3c
All of the above videos are for beginners and completely safe to try from home. Initially, you will need to enforce discipline on yourself. Once you start seeing the results, it will soon become a habit.
Sleep :
Another most important aspect of well being is proper sleep. Make an effort to finish your dinner by 8/8:30 pm and go to bed by 10 pm. Avoid any mental chatter and planning once you are in bed. I like to tell myself that , "I am done with all the hard work for the day, and will now take rest". Instead of telling myself I am in bed for sleep, I tell myself I am there to rest. That ways I avoid getting stressed about falling asleep soon☺️ and can be more relaxed which eventually brings sleep sooner than later. You can try this approach and see if it works for you.
Mental Well Being: This aspect of fitness is more important now than ever before with so many cases of mental illness.
There is a well known saying, that an idle mind is a devil's workshop. Our minds need positive engagement else they are likely to be distracted and serve as our enemy instead of as a friend. Understanding the nature of mind is important, before we try to work with it.
We can learn to train our minds with the practice of:
A. Breathwork
B. Mindfulness
C. Meditation
Breathwork
All of us who have tried to control the mind, know that it is near impossible to do so. One way to indirectly control it is through our breath. Reconnecting with our breath can help us stay in the moment. There are several ways in which we can use our breath - to calm ourselves, to energize ourselves, to cool down the body, to warm the body etc. It is important to train in breathwork in a step by step manner building a strong foundation before trying advanced breathing exercises. First begin with the following exercise :
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2012/05/breathing-exercise-1-single-nostril.html?m=0
And then move on to alternate nostril breathing as instructed here👇
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2012/06/breathing-exercise-2-alternate-nostril.html
Now, you are ready for the full alternate nostril breathing. Follow as instructed here👇
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2016/04/full-alternate-nostril-breathing.html
You can now add other breathing exercises such as the Kapalabhati pranayama to your daily practice. Follow as instructed here👇
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2015/05/kapalabhati-pranayama.html
Mindfulness :
Mindfulness is complete acceptance of the present moment without any judgement.
This is very easy to practice and you need not take any time outside of your routine for this. You can pick any daily activity that you do such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower or cooking and give it your complete attention. Involve all of your senses - see whatever it is that you are seeing, hear whatever it is that you are hearing, feel whatever it is that you are feeling, taste whatever it is that you are tasting and smell whatever it is that you are smelling. Notice how involving all of your senses enriches even a simple experience such as taking a walk in the park, or tasting food.
Begin by picking any two daily activities. And slowly strengthen your practice by including more activities for "mindfulness training".
Notice how staying completely present in the moment helps you remain stress free for those few minutes of practice and how enriching your experience becomes.
Meditation :
Most of our attention is focused outward and we are lost in the external world. It is important for us to spend a few quiet minutes with ourselves so we can reconnect with our innermost self. This is what meditation helps us to do. Connecting with your deepest self, gives you discernment into what is right for you, what feels good and what path you should take - your own unique path. They say, all answers lie within. But how are you to find the answers, if you don't take the time to go within?
Start this practice, without delay. Sit quietly for a few minutes each day. You can choose to focus on your breath, or think of a mantra such as, Om, or just be aware of all the sounds around you. Gradually you can increase the amount of time you spend quietly. Remember, that each day is a new day, some days you will be able to sit through your meditation easily and some days you may find it very difficult to sit still. Just be kind with yourself, and go with the flow. Try not to judge your practice by labeling it good or bad. What's important is that you show up on your meditation seat each day, and let the progress come with practice and perseverance.
Emotional Well Being: The third main aspect of fitness and a much ignored one is - Emotional health. We all know the impact of our emotions on our bodies but what we don't know is how to effectively manage them. Some practices that can help you deal with your emotions positively are :
A. Gratitude
C. Acceptance
Accepting our life, our thoughts and our emotions as it is, as they arise is a practice that can help us experience emotional freedom. Instead of labeling certain emotions as good, and certain others as bad, allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. In a course by Tara Brach, i learnt to apply RAIN to my emotions. RAIN is an acronym for :
R - Recognize
A - Allow
I - Investigate
N - Nourish
With mindfulness you can recognize the presence of an emotion. Once you recognize it is there, allow yourself to feel it fully, instead of trying to change it. Every emotion is there for a reason and it is for us to get its message. Next step is to investigate. Notice where you feel the emotion in your body. And finally, Nourish yourself. Ask yourself, what is needed to be done. You can place your hand on your heart , being kind to yourself, and being there for yourself. This way, you take full responsibility for your emotions, you accept them and learn from them.
Taking it a step further, accepting others as they are, without the need to change them can also make us feel free and at ease.
We need to understand that we are not responsible for others actions. We are responsible only for our own actions. We can give others good advice, but end of the day, it is for them to decide what to do, and bear the consequences of their choices.
D. Forgiveness
The practice of forgiving ourselves and also others every single day can help us feel light in the heart and help create a peaceful internal environment.
In order to truly forgive, we need to understand our true nature. Deep down we are all the same. What differentiates us is our conditioning - our circumstances, environment in which we grew up, what kind of parents we had, what lessons we learnt, what our belief system is etc etc. So when people respond, they do so from their level of awareness and conditioning. When we learn this, we will cease to take anything personally. And if we can achieve this, then we can truly enjoy emotional freedom in its true sense.
So, here is the Holistic Wellness Framework, summarized:
Physical Well Being: For maintaining good physical health, there are four things you need to bring your awareness to:
A. Personal Hygiene
B. Nutrition
C. Exercise
D. Sleep
Maintaining personal hygiene, planning and adhering to a balanced diet plan rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, exercising daily for a minimum of 30 minutes, getting proper sleep for 6-8 hours everyday is essential for maintaining a healthy body.
I know it sounds very basic, but it's important that we revisit these seemingly simple parameters regularly. As humans we are bound to fall off track. I understand there will be days when you are swamped with work and don't find the time to pay attention to what you are eating, there will be days when you are out partying and don't get a good night's rest. And that's ok. Just don't make this the norm. Let them be exceptions. Every day you get a chance to decide how you want to live, try to make appropriate choices that serve you in the long run.
Personal Hygiene :
Do you wash your hands before eating food, keep your nails trimmed, and keep your living space, clean? These are often things we remind our children to do, but do we do these ourselves? We need to ensure we pay equal attention to our personal hygiene just as we pay attention to our kids personal hygiene.
Nutrition :
What we need is not a diet plan, but a common sense approach to eating. We all know what foods are good for us and what foods deplete our energy and make us sick. But do we pay attention to our knowledge and intelligence, in regard to making a healthy choice? If we can pay attention to that intelligent voice within more often, then we can enjoy good health.
We need to start paying attention to the forces within us that prevent us from making healthy choices. The moment we become conscious of them they will start to lose their power over us.
For many of us, it is emotional eating - eating out of boredom or to relieve stress. Food is never a solution to our problems, and using food to relieve boredom or stress is actually the abuse of it. The purpose of food is to nourish our body and provide us with necessary energy to carry out our day to day activities with ease. This is not to say, that you should not enjoy your food, or eat for pleasure. You can enjoy every meal you eat, but don't use it as a means to escape from life's everyday problems.
Learn to find creative ways to stay focused and increase the nutrition quotient of your meals.
Some ideas that I have been using for adhering to a nutritious meal plan are:
# I have a chart pasted on my refrigerator with different healthy options for breakfast/snack/lunch and dinner. So when I am running out of ideas for a meal I take a quick look at the chart for options available.
# I make sure that I have my kitchen stocked each weekend with fresh fruits/vegetables/nuts that I would need for the week ahead.
# I created a what's app group called, "Daily meal log", where the group members post their meal plans and also log what they eat through the day.
These practices help me stay focused and be conscious of what I am putting on my plate. Even if I get off track ( which I will admit I do ), I know I have these tools and get right back on track. You can try these and see if they work for you.
Daily Exercise :
Our bodies are designed for movement and will function best when we move it and keep it active. Make sure you do some form of exercise that you enjoy daily. In my fitness classes, we do strengthening one day, yoga one day, dance one day, Pilates one day, interval training one day. This way we look forward to each days workout and enjoy ourselves while giving our body what it needs - movement. You can also choose from a wide range of activities such as walking, running, swimming, dancing, strength training, or just playing a sport you like. Set aside 30 minutes a day for this. Make this non negotiable. Find an accountability partner to motivate you on days you feel lazy.
And if you are just starting out on your fitness journey and don't know where to start, take a look at the following videos from my YouTube channel and get started now:
https://youtu.be/bcW7nsbh2mw
https://youtu.be/piRvp3YFOaE
https://youtu.be/vHgbhUX483k
https://youtu.be/u0I_WNd2uPw
https://youtu.be/lZLyWBvsJ3c
All of the above videos are for beginners and completely safe to try from home. Initially, you will need to enforce discipline on yourself. Once you start seeing the results, it will soon become a habit.
Sleep :
Another most important aspect of well being is proper sleep. Make an effort to finish your dinner by 8/8:30 pm and go to bed by 10 pm. Avoid any mental chatter and planning once you are in bed. I like to tell myself that , "I am done with all the hard work for the day, and will now take rest". Instead of telling myself I am in bed for sleep, I tell myself I am there to rest. That ways I avoid getting stressed about falling asleep soon☺️ and can be more relaxed which eventually brings sleep sooner than later. You can try this approach and see if it works for you.
Mental Well Being: This aspect of fitness is more important now than ever before with so many cases of mental illness.
There is a well known saying, that an idle mind is a devil's workshop. Our minds need positive engagement else they are likely to be distracted and serve as our enemy instead of as a friend. Understanding the nature of mind is important, before we try to work with it.
We can learn to train our minds with the practice of:
A. Breathwork
B. Mindfulness
C. Meditation
Breathwork
All of us who have tried to control the mind, know that it is near impossible to do so. One way to indirectly control it is through our breath. Reconnecting with our breath can help us stay in the moment. There are several ways in which we can use our breath - to calm ourselves, to energize ourselves, to cool down the body, to warm the body etc. It is important to train in breathwork in a step by step manner building a strong foundation before trying advanced breathing exercises. First begin with the following exercise :
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2012/05/breathing-exercise-1-single-nostril.html?m=0
And then move on to alternate nostril breathing as instructed here👇
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2012/06/breathing-exercise-2-alternate-nostril.html
Now, you are ready for the full alternate nostril breathing. Follow as instructed here👇
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2016/04/full-alternate-nostril-breathing.html
You can now add other breathing exercises such as the Kapalabhati pranayama to your daily practice. Follow as instructed here👇
https://wheelingawaytowellness.blogspot.com/2015/05/kapalabhati-pranayama.html
Mindfulness :
Mindfulness is complete acceptance of the present moment without any judgement.
This is very easy to practice and you need not take any time outside of your routine for this. You can pick any daily activity that you do such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower or cooking and give it your complete attention. Involve all of your senses - see whatever it is that you are seeing, hear whatever it is that you are hearing, feel whatever it is that you are feeling, taste whatever it is that you are tasting and smell whatever it is that you are smelling. Notice how involving all of your senses enriches even a simple experience such as taking a walk in the park, or tasting food.
Begin by picking any two daily activities. And slowly strengthen your practice by including more activities for "mindfulness training".
Notice how staying completely present in the moment helps you remain stress free for those few minutes of practice and how enriching your experience becomes.
Meditation :
Most of our attention is focused outward and we are lost in the external world. It is important for us to spend a few quiet minutes with ourselves so we can reconnect with our innermost self. This is what meditation helps us to do. Connecting with your deepest self, gives you discernment into what is right for you, what feels good and what path you should take - your own unique path. They say, all answers lie within. But how are you to find the answers, if you don't take the time to go within?
Start this practice, without delay. Sit quietly for a few minutes each day. You can choose to focus on your breath, or think of a mantra such as, Om, or just be aware of all the sounds around you. Gradually you can increase the amount of time you spend quietly. Remember, that each day is a new day, some days you will be able to sit through your meditation easily and some days you may find it very difficult to sit still. Just be kind with yourself, and go with the flow. Try not to judge your practice by labeling it good or bad. What's important is that you show up on your meditation seat each day, and let the progress come with practice and perseverance.
Emotional Well Being: The third main aspect of fitness and a much ignored one is - Emotional health. We all know the impact of our emotions on our bodies but what we don't know is how to effectively manage them. Some practices that can help you deal with your emotions positively are :
A. Gratitude
Our minds are quick to find faults and draw our awareness to what is not ok. This is the nature of our mind. But the good news is we can retrain it by repeatedly focusing on "what's working" and positive in our lives. With repeated practice, your mind will learn to focus on the glass half full and this in turn will increase your happiness and contentment quotient.
One way to do this is to maintain a "Gratitude Journal". You can key in all the things that you are grateful for on a daily basis. Set aside a time to do this. I usually do this end of day before going to bed.
You can also get creative and instead of just listing all the things you are grateful for, you can also look at picking one thing each day to write about:
A. A technology you are grateful for and why
B. A sense organ you are grateful for and why
C. A memory you are grateful for
D. A physical feature in yourself that you are grateful for
E. An internal quality of yourself that you are grateful for
F. Qualities in your spouse or kids that you are grateful for
The list can go on. And on the days you are feeling particularly low, your journal can help boost your spirits and remind you of what's working in your life.
B. Self Love
This is something we need to learn to do - love ourselves, regardless. Our society doesn't encourage us to do this and we are often conditioned to take care of everyone but ourselves. This results in a lot of dissatisfaction and eventual burn out. Lets relearn to take care of ourselves first so we are more available for our loved ones and those in need.
Also, we are so accustomed to the opinions of others that we don't take the time to appreciate ourselves. We are capable of lot more than we get credit for, and we will realize this only when we take the time to acknowledge to ourselves our positive qualities. The more we do this, the more we love ourselves. And the more we love ourselves, more we respect ourselves and our needs. We will learn to stand up and speak for ourselves. You will notice these changes taking place with time.
I like to keep a journal that I like to call, a love journal, wherein I write down all the things that I love about myself. It could be a physical feature, an internal quality, anything that I appreciate about myself. Doing this on a everyday basis has brought me closer to my strengths. This journal is not just a self appreciation journal but also a self compassion journal. On the days that I am feeling low or goof up, I like to write a short compassion note to myself. This way, I can be my own best friend.
I recommend this practice to anyone looking to improve their relationship with themselves. This one practice has the power to totally transform your life for better.
C. Acceptance
Accepting our life, our thoughts and our emotions as it is, as they arise is a practice that can help us experience emotional freedom. Instead of labeling certain emotions as good, and certain others as bad, allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. In a course by Tara Brach, i learnt to apply RAIN to my emotions. RAIN is an acronym for :
R - Recognize
A - Allow
I - Investigate
N - Nourish
With mindfulness you can recognize the presence of an emotion. Once you recognize it is there, allow yourself to feel it fully, instead of trying to change it. Every emotion is there for a reason and it is for us to get its message. Next step is to investigate. Notice where you feel the emotion in your body. And finally, Nourish yourself. Ask yourself, what is needed to be done. You can place your hand on your heart , being kind to yourself, and being there for yourself. This way, you take full responsibility for your emotions, you accept them and learn from them.
Taking it a step further, accepting others as they are, without the need to change them can also make us feel free and at ease.
We need to understand that we are not responsible for others actions. We are responsible only for our own actions. We can give others good advice, but end of the day, it is for them to decide what to do, and bear the consequences of their choices.
D. Forgiveness
The practice of forgiving ourselves and also others every single day can help us feel light in the heart and help create a peaceful internal environment.
In order to truly forgive, we need to understand our true nature. Deep down we are all the same. What differentiates us is our conditioning - our circumstances, environment in which we grew up, what kind of parents we had, what lessons we learnt, what our belief system is etc etc. So when people respond, they do so from their level of awareness and conditioning. When we learn this, we will cease to take anything personally. And if we can achieve this, then we can truly enjoy emotional freedom in its true sense.
So, here is the Holistic Wellness Framework, summarized:
