The elements of optimal health are rooted in bringing mind, body and soul in balance. This is the intention of my coaching programs. Balance isn’t a fixed concept but a fluid one. Balance is an ebb and flow that looks different from day to day, season to season and year to year. Human’s have the amazing gift of self-awareness which sets us apart from other animal species. We are able to observe our thoughts, bodies and spiritual self, or soul. This awareness deepens our life experiences and allows us to make choices that support our mental, physical and spiritual wellness.

 

Let’s explore the various ways you can support yourself to bring mind, body and soul in balance for optimal health.

 

Body: The human body is made up of trillions of cells that have an innate communication system that organizes us into a life form. Your body communicates with you on a daily basis, but unless you are tuned in to it you may be missing many of its messages. When your body is out of balance it may scream at you to get your attention with headaches, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, weight gain, pre-mature aging and inflammation. Some may choose numbing behaviors to tune out these messages, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy screen time, food addictions, or over-use of over the counter and/or prescription medications (note: there are circumstances where prescription medications are advisable and beneficial under the care of a board certified MD).

Pay meaningful attention to your body. Give it radical at of self-love. We live in a society that rewards disassociation. Stand apart from the pack and treat your body like the temple it truly is.

Your body is the vehicle in which you travel through life. The food you eat, the air you breath, the care you give, the beverages you drink, the environment you live in all affect how effectively it functions. I encourage you to practice tuning into your body and the valuable messages it sends to you.

This begins with self-awareness, tuning in and noting what comes up with regard to the food you eat. How do particular foods make you feel physically? Food is intended to taste delicious AND be beneficial to your body. If a particular food or meal makes you feel awful, it’s a sign that it’s not good for your body. If every time you eat pizza, you feel bloated, constipated and breakout with a pimple, it’s a sign pizza isn’t the best food for you and you could have underlying allergies to gluten, dairy or nightshades. How do certain beverages make you feel? If drinking three glasses of white makes you feel terrible the next day, try just having 1 glass. Again, if it makes your feel terrible, it means it is probably terrible for your body.

This takes practice and time. Give yourself grace to lapse. It’s not about perfection, but progress. Progress towards better health by getting in tune with your body and giving it what it needs to function at an optimal level.

 

Here 6 ways to support a balanced body:

 

1. Eat a plant-based Mediterranean inspired diet. Eating a plant-based diet with color fruits and vegetables, locally sourced protein, healthy fats and limited processed food best support your body. It encourages a healthy gut microbiome, detoxification and antioxidants which allow your body to function optimally.
2. Prioritize your sleep. Getting 7-9 hours of consistent, restorative sleep is important for immune function, and rejuvenation. During sleep the body is resetting the central nervous system, detoxifying cells and consolidating memory.
3. Move your body regularly. Consistent movement is good for circulation and heart health. Yoga is an excellent practice to support balance, harmony and strength. Here are 28 benefits of yoga for women’s health.
4. Ground in nature. Nature is therapeutic. Getting natural sunlight enables the body’s vitamin D production, the electromagnetic field of the earth can be calming to the nervous system, and fresh air is invigorating to the lungs. To learn more about grounding, read this article The Health and Wellness Benefits of a Daily Grounding Practice.
5. Stay hydrated with clean water. Clean, filtered water is by far the best beverage for the body. It keeps cells healthy and encourages detoxification. It also promotes glowing skin.
6. Detoxify your beauty, personal care and household cleaning products. Many of the beauty, personal care and household cleaning products contain toxic chemicals. Many of which are hormone disruptors and that can increase the toxic load on the body. Keeping these added toxins to a minimum is essential to a healthy, balanced, body. Here is an article that discusses clean beauty and your health.

 

Mind: The mind is your literal form of intelligence. And, as we all know our mind can have a “mind of its own” if we are not mindful. The mind is like a very complex operating system in a computer.

Let’s say your body is the computer – and the mind the operating system. As young children you were “programmed” to some degree by your primary care providers- parents, siblings, teachers, grandparents – for better or worse. Much of this programming was stored without your conscious consent. Much of adulthood is about the reprogramming process. Taking inventory to consciously decide what you want to keep stored and what you want to permanently delete.

Being “mindful” is about filling your “mind full” of what YOU want, not what someone else wants for you. Mindfulness is the act of being mindful. Again, it starts with self-awareness of thought patterns. Accept those that serve your dreams, goals and who you want to be and let go of those thoughts that keep you stuck with negativity, self-criticism and harsh judgment.

A great place to start is your mindset. Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? Do you think life is working for you or against you? Cultivating a growth mindset, and a perspective that supports the notion that all is working for you supports balance and resiliency.

 

Here 6 ways to support a balanced mind:

 

1. Start a meditation practice to cultivate self-awareness and self-observation of thought. With consistency it allows you to separate “you” the observer from your automatic thought patterns. You are not your thoughts. You observe your thoughts. Meditation isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, a practice. The idea is to carry the self-observation skills you cultivate during meditation into your daily life. If you are new to meditation and want to begin a practice, check out the Beginner’s Guide to Meditation.
2. Use breathwork practices to center and calm the mind in the moment. The beauty of breathwork is you can do it anywhere, at any time. The Box Breathing Method is perfect for immediate calm. Silently breathing in 4 counts, hold 4 counts, exhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts. Repeat as needed.
3. Start a journal. Journaling is therapeutic and cathartic. Expressing yourself on paper helps to process emotions and thoughts. Creating a safe space for you to just “brain dump” frees up mental space for other ideas and thoughts that might be more supportive. This daily wellness journal is a great tool to help you begin your day with focus, clarity and intention.
4. Keep stress in check. Stress is part of being human, but chronic stress is detrimental to your health and often fuels anxiety and depression. Find what works for you, it could be a run outside, a hot bath, journaling, or calling up a trusted friend. Have a few stress-checks you can rely on for the times when you feel stressed. Here are more tips and practices to reduce stress and anxiety.
5. Start a vision board. A vision board is a visual, tangible representation of what you specifically want to manifest in your life. It can change and evolve over time so check in with it regularly to be sure all the items are still resonant. Having a visual for how you want your life to be gives context for goal creation and action steps. You can create a digital version for your home screen or wallpaper, or a non-digital version to hang on the wall over your desk. Do what works for you. It’s your vision!
6. Set SMART goals. Setting clear goals and taking decisive action steps is the key to goal attainment. Goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Timely). Expressing goals gives the mind something to hook onto and relax. Otherwise, ideas can spin wildly around in your mind, creating overwhelm and inaction. Put it on paper and then you can use your mental energy on taking focused action.

 

Soul: We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Your soul is the intuitive all-knowing part of yourself. Often the mental chatter crowds it out, or we ignore the physical cues we get from a “gut instinct”. Our highest self, or soul, is always communicating with us. Let’s start to listen to the wisdom, guidance and  knowingness.

Your spiritual self observes the mind, knows what’s best for your highest good. Giving yourself space to quiet the mind, slow the body allows yourself to feel that part of you. It creates magical harmony. A fresh perspective and new approach to life. Priorities may change, career paths, relationships, preferences and even where you chose to live. Consistently tuning into your higher self and allowing yourself to listen is a gift we all have. Tap into this knowingness.

 

Here 6 ways to support a balanced soul:

 

1. Begin a daily gratitude practice. Rooting yourself in gratitude expands the heart and allows you to see how interconnected we all are as spiritual beings having a human experience.
2. Pray. Communicating with God, the Universe, Source, or whatever name resonates with you, will connect you to your Higher Power. You are constantly guided and supported.
3. Reevaluate your relationships and sources of connection. Relationships can literally suck us dry if they are unhealthy. No amount of kale or meditation will offset the negative energetic drain. Surround yourself with likeminded seekers. Those who, like you, want to expand, grow and evolve in a healthy way.
4. Read books that teach you about your spiritual self. Educating yourself about the power within is empowering. Learning from scholars about our soulfulness is a gift. The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer is one I read every year. It’s on the ALW book club list, too.
5. Spend time in nature. Nature reflects to us the limitless capacity of creativity. It is the greatest work of art, a red cardinal, a fierce tiger, or blooming rose. A setting sun connects your soul to nature, fellow humans and God. We are all of this creative planet. Nature is intended to support and inspire us.
6. Invest in crystals. Crystals have a vibrational energy that support, ground, cleanse and expand among many other energetic capabilities. They can create energetic harmony and support intuition and higher levels of awareness. To learn more about, read The Beginner’s Guide to Crystals. 

 

Bringing mind, body and soul in balance creates harmony and optimal health. It’s the trifecta of wellness and the foundation of my coaching programs. If your body is in great shape and you have a growth mindset, but you’re spiritually detached you are going to feel out of balance. Just as if you have a connected spiritual life and healthy body but you are ruled by stress and anxiety, you again will feel out of balance. Think of balance as fluid it will look different from day to day, but the overall vibe is spiritually harmonious, vibrant, radiant, enthusiastic, and balanced. You deserve to feel your best!