During this time with fear and sickness being spread throughout the world, it’s important to view your body in a holistic way. As an integrative holistic wellness/life coach and yogi, I’ve noticed a lot of people are out of balance due to the high amounts of anxiety and fear that surrounds us. We all have four body systems: emotional, spiritual, physical and mental. Each system is inter-connected to each other. Due to each system being inter-connected, an issue can manifest in the physical system but the issue itself could have been rooted in the mental part of our system. An example of this is as follows: Sue has been watching the news daily when she wakes up and before she goes to bed to stay updated with the newest information regarding the COVID-19 virus. During her rest she has a nightmare (mental system) of her mother dying of this virus. When she wakes up in the morning, she begins to have chest pain and begins to cry (physical and emotional systems) from the thought of her nightmare. She continues her day as normal. Later as she uses the restroom, she looks in the mirror and notices a red bump on her forehead. What is the root cause of Sue’s nightmare, chest pain and bumps? The root cause is anxiety and fear from the thought of the COVID-19 virus causing harm to Sue and her family.
I understand that Sue’s story may be like yours or someone you may know. It is important during this time to take care of ourselves in a holistic approach. A holistic approach refers to addressing the whole person, including their physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health, while taking social factors into consideration. During these times, it is important to enhance the health in all four body systems. Below are the techniques/modalities that I do and or use to remain and enhance my health in all four of my body systems.
Emotional System:
Expressing yourself- To enhance my emotional system I like to write in my journal and talk. When I’m writing in my journal it allows me to speak and understand myself. At times life goes by so fast, there are days where you can’t recall what you had for lunch 7 days ago! So how would you know how, where, or what made you start feeling unhappy or unhealthy?? Journaling is a great tool to allow you to truly be aware of you! Most of us are home now, use this time to catch up with loved ones. Taking the time and checking in with a loved one and expressing how you feel about them is a great way to enhance your emotional system. Energy is transferable so picking up the phone and talking with loved ones helps lessen the sense of isolation. Isolation is very harmful if an individual’s mental system is unbalanced.
Diet- Feeling unhappy? Reach for a banana! Bananas have been scientifically proven to release our “happy hormones” and make us feel happy. A whole food/plant based diet has also been proven to decrease depression.
Environment- Being mindful on protecting my emotional system, I love plants and flowers. Plants/flowers like bananas have a great ability to help change your mood and uplift your energy. Surrounding yourself with nature (garden, yard, plants, flowers) is a great way to stimulate and enhance your emotional systems.
Essential oils- I use the following essential oils for my emotional system: Rose, Melissa, CBD, Yarrow, Jasmine, Chamomile, Palmarosa, Marjoram Sweet, Vertiver
Spiritual System:
Meditating- I increase my meditation time to twice a day. For those who don’t have a meditation practice, beginning or increasing your meditation has many great benefits. The two that I will discuss in this article is: 1) Developing a stress-free body and mind. 2) Increasing immunity and fight off diseases. The benefit of keeping your mind stress free.
When you can lower your risk of stress you heighten/boost your immune system. During this time, having a healthy immune system will help you block out/prevent viruses.
Praying- I pray daily. Ask whoever you pray to, for protection of you and your family. Also, while praying show gratitude for your health and well-being.
Affirmations – Reading and or writing a daily affirmation, allows to you demand and receive what you seek. Why affirmations? Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often, and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes ; the law of gravity. When you focus on something, you begin pulling it towards you. Therefore, it is very important when using affirmations that you have faith, belief, and remain positive at all times no matter what the current circumstance is.
Essential oils- I use the following essential oils for my spiritual system: Cedarwood, Rosemary, Ylang Ylang, Lemon, Tea Tree, Patchouil, Laverder, Frankinincense, Myrrh, Sandlawood
Physical System:
Movement- I enhance my physical system daily by doing yoga and exercising. Find an exercise or movement you enjoy and take the time to exercise. When you exercise, you improve your mood and will help you to detox. How will you detox?? -By sweating!! Detoxing to me is one of the best benefits of movement/exercising! Some people can’t see themselves doing a lot of exercise, then dance! Play your playlist and get your body moving!
Self-Care- Check out my blog from last month “Loving Yourself-The Importance of Self-Love” dated- Feb 14, 2020 on some self-care modalities/techniques I do. When you practice self-care modalities it allows you to feel good inside and also helps to reflect on the outside, because the body is interconnected! I love giving myself facials and taking baths with flowers, herbs and essential oils.
Water- Please make sure you are getting a well dosage of water. Water can also come from other sources such as your foods and teas. When you're hydrated, you help your body by helping your heart do less work, preventing it from having to work harder than it should. Staying hydrated will also allow you to have mental clarity, detox, and flush out anything that should not be in your body. During this time, I alkaline my water by adding half a key lime to my gallon of spring water. By drinking alkaline water, you add oxygen into your body and changing your bodies environment into a positive state. Viruses and bacteria cannot live in positive alkaline environment. Check my blog titled “Say yes to Water” dated- Sept 20, 2019.
Essential oils- I use the following essential oils for my physical system: Blue Tansey, Peppermint, Basil
Mental System: The best mental system modality that has worked for me for serial years is meditation. Meditation helps guide you to develop a more focused and disciplined life. Becoming more focused and disciplined helps balance your mental system by allowing you to become aware of your body, mind, environment, and your higher self. During this time, it’s important to be able to focus and become aware of what is happening within yourself, your loved ones, and the world. If your mind is cloudy from a lack of focus you will not be mentally prepared to tend and or heal your family. It is important that you take the knowledge you have learned in this article and other knowledge you have learned on wellness and health and teach your family!
Reading- Take this time and get cozy with a book. Learning something new is always a plus on the mental system! During this time, I’m focusing on books dealing with wellness and health.
Wellness & Life Coaching- Focusing on you and your family's wellness and life is vital, especially right now. There are many resources out there that can be very helpful. Research, Research, Research natural remedies that may relate to your family and loved ones needs. If you’re feeling lost during this time, no worries, you are not alone! There are many people who lives have changed or will change due to our world changing. Mecca Blended Wellness LLC will be offering wellness and life coaching online! From the comfort of your home, you can still get the personalized guidelines that you may need. You can go online to our website and book a free 30 min prospective client consultation to discover how wellness and life coaching can help benefit you!
Essential oils- I use the following essential oils for my mental system: Rosemary, Vetiver, Myrrh, Peppermint, Lavendar, Frankincense, Sweet Orange, Bergamon, Ylang Ylang
While we’re in our homes, let’s take this time to improve our health, because what this pandemic has taught us all is that at the end of the day, we can truly care for ourselves and our family the best way we can. And the best way to care for others and ourselves is by taking care of our body! Our health is our true wealth. I wish you and your loved ones peace, balance, and well health.
-Namaste,
Shameka Clark-Ragland
Founder and Owner, Mecca Blended Wellness LLC
(470)588-7757 http://www.meccablendedwellness.com