The Delicate Balance Within Us

This period of our lives demands attention to Mind and Body. Why? I think everyone can agree our health concerns are shifting. Twenty years ago it was all about gyms, running, and the push for a six pack set of abs. As our largest population began to move into the 60’s it became more important to focus on balance, maintaining strength and a lifestyle to reduce our risk of aging diseases. But the younger generation has workouts, nutrition, and how to do just about anything at their fingertips on phones, iPads and laptops and you could see them in the gyms working out to programs on their phones. COVID brought a quick halt to gyms, spas, athletics in general, and even running in the park. New methods were quickly replacing gyms via Peloton, The Mirror, Video led treadmill programs led by trainers taking you around the world, and, pay to join video series for everything. You can find almost anything from reputable trainers on You Tube. The most important wellness program right now is mind body and let me tell you why. Amid the pandemic, the political controversy, the leadership conflict, our social and economic changes, our sanity demands balance. We can only achieve that balance by working on it. There are people who handle stress better than some, but our world is in overload and everyone is affected. In addition to the overload from the disturbances the past ten months are the more subtle influences of energy and information disseminated through the internet, television, newsfeeds and general conversations. Little things that required almost no effort now demand greater focus. If you work from home you may have distractions in the background that pull your train of thought away from what you are trying to finish and it causes a strain that builds up if not addressed. Working out can also be stressful if not done with the right attitude. We need a conscious effort of creating balance: weights with stretching; classes that incorporate relaxation techniques and even yoga that includes centering. Recently I read an article in We Are Ageist about breathing. We Are Ageist is a great resource of interesting topics for people over 50 (www.weareageist.com). The breathing technique is a technique similar to one I have used over 30 years for myself, clients and students.

It comes from an ancient breathing technique to increase focus, eliminate outside conflicting emotions and distractions and helps to center you. Many client’s express difficulty in falling back asleep when awakened at night. This is a technique I recommend and use in similar circumstances and it always works. Before a meeting, during challenging situations it brings clarity and calmness so you can think clearer. The benefits physically are very centering for mind and body reducing stress and allowing the body to function more efficiently. Next stressful situation, or at night when you can’t fall back asleep, or even just to become more centered – give it a try and let me know the results. – Cheryl cpatella@aol.com