In an area of health fads and individuals making money off of other people’s health... what does it mean to be healthy? Can one be healthy in body without being healthy in mind and spirit- visa versa? What does it mean to be unhealthy? And is being unhealthy an inevitable part of life and death?
Through my personal exploration of health, I have found that in times when I am unhealthy it’s been correlated with an aspect of my life that needs attention. An aspect that is out of balance in relation to my natural rhythm. For example, for a long time I dealt with stomachs every day. The stomach aches were correlated with situations of stress and often times when I felt uncomfortable. I desperately sought expert help to relieve myself of the discomfort. However, to my dismay the expert help never ceased the pain. What did help the pain go away was months which turn into years of consistent lifestyle changes that supported not only my body but my mind in cultivating a healthy landscape within and without. I don’t believe that one without the other would have led me to the health I experience now.
I could have dealt with the pain and went on with life. However there was a part of me that needed to find this health. It was like it knew it was out there and it needed to find it. I believe that most people experience this. However, after many failed attempts we ignore it to eventually forget about it. I’ve always been pretty stubborn and ambitious so instead of turning away I turned right into the pain and suffering I felt. It was not easy and at times I questioned every part of my being and what drove me to continue. However, as I look back I see that working through my pain and suffering has allowed me the strength I need to fully step into myself and my life.
Does finding the health to live confidently in who I am and continue to walk that path mean that I never experience health disparities? No. There are times when I get a cold, nights when I feel anxious, and times my belly still aches. However instead of ignoring or turning away, I turn toward. I listen to what my body, mind and spirit need. I think it is in this listening and offering to ourselves that we are able to uncover all of who we are and offer to the world from this place. A place that is whole, abundant and giving- not led by fear.
There will be a point where my body naturally cycles to death. This will be a new practice of letting go and falling into yet another natural rhythm of living. I hope that my practice of living life in surrender to the natural world will allow this to be just another cycle in the wave of life.
Along with the poetry I will start offering you all various health and wellness tips that support harmony and balance within and without. Not as a way to add to a list of things you "should do" but as an offering for you to start listening to your own internal rhythm. Health is a dynamic process that I believe is discovered within an individual being. Being in supportive communities allows this process to arise. This is from where I’d like to offer my experience and expertise. Feel free to comment or ask questions about things that you need help with and/or have worked for you.
Never stop listening, you will discover all in which you seek
~Zuse