BODY – MIND – SPIRIT: THE COMPLETE WELLNESS PACKAGE

Run a mile? Yup, got it. 

Look for the brighter side of things? Heard that one too. 

Today, most understand that eating less and working out more leads to a healthier you. 

Since the later part of the twentieth century, previous generations thinking that we only have so many heartbeats (so why waste them running up and down the driveway?), went away.  Thank you, Neil Armstrong for socializing those wellness bad habits and thank you, Jane Fonda for those classic 80’s workout videos that put the motionless world behind us.

And for those caught on a flight next to that person who will not stop sharing everything that is wrong in the world, hopefully you can see that looking on the brighter side of things not only leads to a better travel experience, but also a sunnier destination.  

Body – Mind – so what about Spirit?

What is the simple definition of spirit?  What if spirit or better spirituality was a recognition of a feeling, or a sense – a belief that there is something greater than just you.  That maybe it is possible that the greater whole needed to help get us out of bed early in the morning, or the reality that being stuck in our seat on a sold-out flight, will require more to help pull us through?

In an age when technology can find answers to just about any question, why does it seem like now, more than ever, there are more questions than answers?  Could it be time for us to take spirituality as a real option for our own healthier being?

Leaders in both health and academia (*Mayo Clinic and Harvard University) offered findings on the impact of spirituality for a healthier you, including:

• Participating in weekly practice showed nearly a 1/3 lower mortality rate from cancer and heart disease.
• Suicide rates reflect nearly 80% less for those who practice spirituality than those who do not, even when controlled for diagnosis of depression, cancer, and heart disease.
• Specific to mental health, significant improvements show that formally participating in weekly services or meditating regularly reduces feelings of depression and increases feelings of both life satisfaction and purpose, regardless of age group.
• That spiritual practices not only provide for a calmer self and brighten emotional states, but also turn what might appear hopeless into a sense of optimism; ultimately leading to a better you.

* Supported by results, surveys, and studies covering 20+ years of research & data from Mayo Clinic and Harvard University.

Now, no one is suggesting that one spiritual self is the only prescription for a better you, but can be an addition to other options.  Let’s face it: not everyone believes the awesome look of the 80’s will make a comeback (or maybe it never went away) nor can they imagine what the universe would look like if Armstrong decided against taking one small step.  In the end, it is a personal decision and one of many factors that today, in a time of uncertainty, could be just the right time to take spirituality more seriously.