TRUE NOURISHMENT
How can we improve our quality of life and truly nourish ourselves? Creating health is not just about how we nourish our bodies with food or fitness. It’s about how we feed ourselves in all areas of our lives. We don’t just achieve health one day and then get to stop caring for ourselves; health is a beautiful and dynamic process that is ongoing and ever-evolving.
Nourish your Health
Thoughts – Our thoughts actually affect our bodies on a cellular level. When we think loving, healing thoughts, it affects our immune response and creates mind-body harmony. Stressful, negative thoughts can have the opposite effect, lower our immunity, raising our cortisol levels and causing inflammation throughout the body. Our mind & body are intricately intertwined and can have a profound impact on one another.
Actions – practice non-judgment to yourself & others. Be gentle with yourself and those around you. Make choices that lift you up, instead of bringing you down. Prioritize & take action on the things that are most important to filling your heart & fueling your life.
Environment – Create a nourishing home or work environment by filling the space with plants, non-toxic candles, crystals, and a salt lamp. Eliminate clutter as it can suffocate your energy. Use gentle lighting and listen to relaxing music when your soul needs soothing.
Connect With Nature- Get outside whenever possible. Connecting to nature eases stress and tension in the mind & body. Walking on the beach or hiking in the mountains soothes our primal need to feel connected to our environment. Earthing (walking barefoot in the dirt or sand) is also incredibly grounding and re-mineralizes the body.
Community/ Relationships – surround yourself with those who lift you up, support you, and nourish your life. Release toxic relationships. Build a community with those who share your vision. Create routines and rituals with your friends. Take a cooking class, join a group, or start exercising with your friends. We are social beings and connection is a crucial part crucial of our health and well-being.
Work – If your work doesn’t nourish you, it’s time to start making a new plan of action. This may take some time/planning. Do something you LOVE and nurture yourself and others through your gifts and offerings to the world.
Food / Our Relationship to it –Tune into your body’s true needs, regardless of the messages you are receiving from the outside. Practice non-attachment to diet plans or protocols. Our bodies are always changing and what may have worked before might not be the best choice now. Slow down, tune in, and get clear with your body’s current needs. Be present with meals & focus on what is giving you energy and what makes you feel sluggish. Make conscious decisions about what makes you feel good. Try not to eat in a rush. Eat & chew slowly. This will support proper digestion and relaxation during meals, which helps to support the bodies natural rhythms.
Physical movement – Movement is nourishment to our cells. The more we move, the more oxygen flows to our blood stream, gets our QI flowing, and supports our lymph system. This provides vital life force energy, boosts the immune system, and helps us look and feel our very best.
Physical touch / intimacy – Touch is nourishment to our hearts. It also supports blood flow, boosts the immune system, and makes us glow from the inside our. This could be anything from a long hug, massage, sex, or a cuddle with someone or something you love.
Tech breaks – Whenever possible - UNPLUG. We’ve developed deep attachments to being constantly ON. Shut down all devices at least an hour before bed to support deep, restorative sleep. Leave your phone at home whenever possible & take full weekends to completely unplug from all social media. This unplugged time is crucial to our well-being and sanity.
Express Gratitude- The more we give thanks, the better we feel. When we give thanks, the people around us feel better too. Take time to write thank you notes, reach out to loved ones, and recognize all the things you have to be grateful for in your life. The more you express your thanks, the more that wonderful people and situations will flow into your life. Write gratitude lists in the morning or evening whenever you’re feeling out of touch or disconnected from your humble heart.
Nourish Your Soul – Take time to connect and nurture the deepest parts of yourself. Express your creativity in all the ways you now how- this could be anything from art to cooking to planting or caring for a garden. Dance, hike, travel, love, mediate, journal, and feed your life with the things and people that fill you up the most. Share, communicate, and offer your deepest truths with those you trust to keep your heart & mind open.
Rest & Relaxation – Practice deep breathing and learn how to take deep belly breaths (pranayama). Take a detoxifying Epsom salt bath with 10 drops of pure lavender essential oil to relax the body to relieve muscle tension and reduce stress. Lavender oil triggers brain reactions that promote relaxation. Give yourself time to rest whenever possible and shoot for (7-8 hours of sleep every night)
*Tip - Create your “non-negotiables” – is it massage, acupuncture, spa days, breath work, meditation, cooking, reading, fitness, or yoga classes? Perhaps your non negotiables are spending time with friends and loved ones, weekends away, or just doing nothing at all. Make a list of your non-negotiables and find a way to work them into your weekly or monthly routine.