Nourishing the Core of Our Being.
The best wellness encyclopedia that has all the complete information, wisdom, and power, well, it’s within you! Your body holds an innate intelligence and understanding that only you can access. The path to connecting with this intelligence is not always clear, and often we reach for external sources to help us connect to what we think is “the way” or discover what others are doing and follow that. There is a lot of conflicting information on nutrition, health, wellness, and what’s best for us. Coupling that with your unique biochemical and bio-individual make-up and a real sense of alignment can get confusing. We’ve entered a time that invites us to approach our well-being more thoughtfully and intentionally – one that’s simple, meaningful, and takes us inward.
Over my years of study in integrative nutrition, health, and life, I’m learning that our unique bodies are constantly changing. With its many ebbs and flows and ups and downs, life offers an abundance of opportunities to tune in to what we need. Personally, at times, I tend to get carried away by my thinking and obtain more information and often get overwhelmed and stuck. Then I realize it’s not enough to keep collecting more information but to practice opportunities to connect with the power of awareness – to become a curious observer of what’s happening in a given moment.
The mind’s capacity to wander serves a purpose and is its default mode, which is excellent because it contributes to imagination and creativity! However, the brain has limited resources for processing information; an overactive default mode interferes with the ability to engage in goal-oriented thoughts and actions (we typically spend half the day in default mode). In addition, the quality of our thoughts in default mode determines our experience. With disciplined effort, we can decrease our ruminating and replace negative spontaneous thoughts with more helpful ones. As we build an ability to connect with the brilliance of body + mind in this way, we develop the ability to feel better, get grounded, more connected, and experience peace of mind.
Discovering the ways to support our unique unfolding is what I believe we are here to do. Self-care, acceptance, compassion, attention, gratitude, and understanding empower us to connect with our highest self and to give back to the world fully and joyfully. Anyone can start a practice by taking just a few minutes each day to affirm their commitment to living a healthful and nourished life by incorporating simple self-care practices. Our bodies are brilliant instruments and want us to heal and replenish. Trust that any changes you need to make will begin to reveal themselves if you start taking the time to listen to what is happening.
I invite you to take time to implement a simple exercise for reconnecting and grounding.
- Name one good thing about yourself
- Name two things you can smell
- Name three things you can hear
- Name four things you can feel
- Describe five things you can see
*A practice courtesy of @shinetext
As you pay attention to your thoughts more and more, notice the feelings and sensations that come with each of them. As you connect more with yourself in this way, trust that with all that arises, you are beginning to create better conditions to overcome your anxiety. This, in turn, helps lay a solid foundation for connecting with everything.
You can begin your practice by taking just a few minutes each day to affirm your commitment to yourself with love and care. Do you have specific activities or practices that help you nourish the core of your being? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
