What is Wellness?
Wellness is so much more than just physical health or well-being. It includes:
- Physical Care – Nourishing a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.
- Mental Acuity – Engaging the world through learning, problem-solving, creativity, etc.
- Emotional Intelligence – Being aware of, accepting and expressing our feelings, and understanding the feelings of others.
- Lifestyle choices – Balancing work, play and family responsibilities
- Social Interaction – Connecting and engaging with others and our communities in meaningful ways.
- Environmental Awareness – Fostering positive interrelationships between planetary health and human actions, choices and wellbeing.
- Spiritual Connection – Searching for meaning and higher purpose in human existence.
How do you assess your wellness?
- Do you wake up feeling positive?
- Do you enjoy learning?
- Do you eat mostly natural, unprocessed food whenever possible?
- Do you seek preventative, natural, alternative and holistic therapies over chemicals?
- Do you exercise at least 3 times per week?
- Are you making enough time each day to relax, reflect, sleep and renew yourself?
- Have you let go of destructive relationships?
- Are you able to forgive yourself for past errors?
- Do you love your life?
- Are you prepared for the possibility of a natural or unnatural disaster?
- Do you have fun?
If you can answer “yes” to most of these questions, you’re doing well. If not, you recognise that wellness is a work in progress.
Ways to Create Wellness
There are so many ways to create and nurture wellness: nutrition, rest, exercise, laughter, volunteering, walking, cooking, meditating, learning a new skill, recycling, singing and more. Sometimes wellness educators pile on so many guidelines and rules, and it feels like YOU SHOULD… In my experience, when you feel you should and you don’t, you experience the opposite of Wellness (for example heaviness and tiredness).
Here are 4 simple ways to create wellness in your life.
If you adopt any one of these you are well on the way to living a life of wellness
Here are 4 simple ways to create wellness in your life. If you adopt any one of these you are well on the way to living a life to wellness
- Do what you love and love what you do
Do stuff that you love at least once a week. For e.g., have a bath, go for a walk, daydream, call a friend, go out or don’t go out, watch a movie, read, garden… whatever it is, enjoy what you love.
- Meditation
There is a perpetual movement in creation, Meditation is a way to access a singular moment of deep rest. It’s the pause we need before stepping into action. You can start with 3 minutes and take it from there.
- Nourish yourself and others
Good clean healthy food, water, movement can help you feel better in your body and mind. Sharing a meal or a dance with someone you love gives you an opportunity to feel gratitude and that can be super uplifting.
- Be Creative
Sing, Dance, Paint, Imagine, write and tell healing stories
Stories have the power to transform our relationship to the world
We are inundated with stories of vengeance, retribution, manipulation and domination – it is no surprise that the world is in a sorry state of war, toxic politics, greed and hate. We need to share stories that speak of the power of forgiveness. Sing the sweetness of compassionate acceptance into our bodies. Let go of the lies with the rhythm of our feet
Make time to write and tell stories that bring us home to wellness and healing for the planet and each other
Let me tell you a story… one that I have just made up…
Hiding behind my laptop, having a sip of tea looking through giant bay windows. My eyes half closed; I noticed a young woman crossing the street towards our neighbour’s house. She seemed to be humming to herself, gently swaying as she walked. She was quite short, and the word stubby came to mind, pretty but not beautiful. She may have been older than she looked. As I watched her cross the street, I noticed the neighbours’ dog on our side of the road begin to bark, she looked quite startled and then angry, she picked up a stick and threatened to hit it. The dog barked louder, now she looked scared and then she burst into tears. At this I sat up, I wasn’t expecting to witness such a range of emotions. The dog stopped barking too, probably as astonished as myself?
The dog whimpered, she whimpered. It was a curious sound, I almost wanted to open the window so that I could hear it more clearly. But I didn’t, content being a spectator for now. Then she wiped her tears, smearing them across her face and walked on. Silence descended. The doorbell rang. I went to open the door. It was the same girl, she asked me, “do you know me?” I shook my head “no”, she looked surprised, then said, “the dog barked at me and told me that I had forgotten who I am and that I am lost. The dog said you would know who I am…” I stared at her, unsure of what to say, and found these words tumble from me, “you are not who think you are, you are who you Know you are…” At this she smiled. She said, “Thank you, I get it, the dog knew, I was lost in thought, lost completely, and it barked me back to now, to know, and I do Know.” At this she turned around and strolled away. I wasn’t sure what just happened, I turned to look at the dog, and I am certain, it was smiling at me.
Spotlight on Donna
This month it is time to spotlight, the beautiful and brave Donna Dawson. You can find out more about her at https://sensibholistics.com/
Donna is an extraordinarily gifted and creative LiberatingTouch Facilitator. Having spent many years travelling she has a depth of experience and love for all cultures and climes. Having worked in the entertainment sector, she knows how easily one can hide behind the drama of life. Donna has a knack of making you feel completely at home while at the same time encouraging you to let go and release patterns that no longer serve you. If you are looking for some Liberating TLC, Donna is your go to facilitator.
That is all for now, thank you for sharing and supporting this blog. Till next month, Love and blessings, Ranjana
Ranjana Appoo is a dynamic author and co-creator of LiberatingTouch, known for her joyful approach to life and passion for truth. Alongside her partner, Eddie Appoo, she has co-authored the book “Detachment – The Secret to Infinite Peace”. With a vibrant spirit and a commitment to Love, Ranjana continues to inspire others to embark on the paths of Self-Realisation through her writings, teachings, and compassionate presence.
