Looking @ Mind-Body Wellness
I’m no Charles Atlas or Arnold Schwarzenegger or Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. I face variety of significant physical health hurdles on my way to mind-body wellness, just so we’re clear. We all have work to do on ourselves, at least I’m assuming everyone has some facet of themselves they wish was different. I think it’s safe to say I have extensive musculoskeletal work to do. My conditioning also needs to improve, no doubt about that.
You can find hope in despair. Dwell on positive thoughts.
Lailah Gifty Akita
I also have mental health issues. To the best of my knowledge, I didn’t have those issues before my body started to break down. I really don’t know, because it is tougher for me to judge my own mental health than the physical. I do know that today I have both anxiety and depression, and I do know that getting my mental health under control seems like a necessary precursor to fixing my body up. It’s tough to build up any strength when you don’t feel like ever getting out of bed.
I’m feeling about as good mentally as I ever have, and I think some of it is the meds I take for mental health, and I think some of it is drugs I take for blood pressure. I take beta blockers for my blood pressure, and they had a significant effect on my anxieties. My cardiologist and I argued when he first prescribed a beta blocker, it’s an antagonist for one of my fast acting asthma medicines. I said I didn’t want to take a beta-blocker. He said I had no choice. End of story.
Buddhism for my Mind
A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.
Dalai Lama
Something close to 30 years ago I began to practice Buddhism. I should probably clarify so there is no confusion, my belief is that Buddhism is not a religion, it’s a practice. I’m not really keen on religion per se, so I see Buddhism not as a religion but as a centuries old belief system with beaucoup wisdom.
Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of reality. Buddhist practices like meditation are means of changing yourself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom.
the buddhist centre
The Buddhist Centre website goes on to say…
Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. So Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, caste, sexuality, or gender. It teaches practical methods which enable people to realise and use its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives.
the buddhist centre
That is a little short on details, but otherwise an excellent summation of what I was taught about Buddhism from a good friend, my Buddhist mentor – a kind gentleman named David. (And yes it’s sadly true, Dave’s not here man…)
Physical Challenges to Overcome
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Arthur Ashe
I’ve got the mental part of my own mind-body wellness pretty well covered at this point in my life. I’ve always had a strong mind and a strong intellect, so the work there is not as extensive or difficult as what my body needs. The practice of Buddhism helps to keep my mind in balance relatively well.
Then there is my body…
I’m 60 years old, I’ve gradually become more and more sedentary. I never made a choice to become like a sloth, but it happened, and I think the answer had to be mental before the physical. Just so we’re clear here, my answers may not be your answers, and the path I took to a decrepit kind of mind-body wellness may be totally different that where you are, or where you will be. As always, your mileage may vary…
However, my message is universal. I did not realize it when I was younger (a youth is wasted on the young kinda thing) but maintaining your body’s physical and mental health is a lifelong challenge. My Dad was the only man who ever warned me how hard a challenge we all face when it comes to our physical health, I didn’t listen.
I’d like to say, “I have suffered so you don’t have to.” But, I think it’s a lesson we all must learn in our own personal way.
Sedentary living doubles the likelihood of stroke and coronary artery disease, making it as risky as smoking, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.
Martin Clay Fowler
Physical Therapy for Mind-Body Wellness
Happiness is a state of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Think pleasantly, engage sport, and read daily to enhance your well-being.
Lailah Gifty Akita
I’m guessing that me telling you about the challenges we all face for physical wellness as we age will be no more effective than what my Dad tried to say in his own awkward way. All I can provide are my answers. The first challenge that I face is the fact that I haven’t been able to properly feel my feet for a long time. I’ve known individuals with peripheral neuropathy who lost the ability to walk, I’m not there but I do tend to have cyclical problems.
The first step in the cycle is the insidious nature of neuropathy. No one can tell me why I lost feeling in my legs when my diabetes is very well controlled, but it’s my reality to deal with. Then, when my neuropathy gets worse, every time I lose a little more feeling in my legs, I have problems with taking falls and spills.
When I first became diabetic I went thru a summer of toppling over at the slightest provocation. Now, something like 10 years later, it’s happening to me again. When girl and I were camping in September and October, I began taking tumbles. I think they all happened, at least to some extent, because of my neuropathy,
The best solution I know for overcoming neuropathy is a physical therapist, going to physical therapy provides a structured beginning to using conditioning and strength to overcome my disability. I never thought I’d hear myself saying this, but I look forward to my physical therapy sessions.
I have to do work on my own too, no doubt about that. But having a guided session a couple of times a week with a physical therapist is keeping on my feet. I’m getting stronger again, I’ve already began taking little hikes.
Motivation for Mind-Body Wellness
People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be
Abraham Lincoln
I’m not sure I could serve as an example of anything. I’m far better at motivating others than I am at motivating myself. Over the last 20 years I’ve let myself slide, and quite honestly both aspects of my mind-body wellness have suffered. I feel like I’m on top of the mental aspects of mind-body wellness, but am only just beginning to rebuild the physical aspects of my own well being. I’ve got a lot of work to do…
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