“Take care of your body.  It’s the only place you have to live.” 

 Jim Rohn

If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live?  The body-mind-spirit connection is miraculous and mysterious; the body is innately intelligent. It’s been said that pain has the ability to purge the ego. In going through pain, one tends to become stronger, real, transparent.  When we think about honoring this miraculous creation, our body, that we’ve been fortunate to receive for this lifetime, there are some key areas that require our consistent attention. It might include food choices, sleep, exercise, prayer and meditation, conscious breathing, connection with friends and family, journaling, being in nature, reading books that inspire you, detaching from technology for a few hours every day, and doing whatever makes you glad you are alive.  

Dr. Norman Shealy, who has dedicated over 60 years to the practice of holistic healing, has written over 312 publications including 23 books, who has lectured worldwide and received numerous awards, has determined that you can add 22 years to your life by following 5 key principles: no smoking, have a Body Mass Index (BMI-measure of body fat) of 18-24, eat 5-7 servings of vegetables and fruits daily, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day, and do 30 minutes of physical exercise 5 times a week. Only 3% of Americans have all four of these healthy habits.

Life offers you an amazing opportunity in every single moment to see and experience Who You Really Are.  Most of us spend much of our time living a life of the mind, rather than living in the moment. Missing out on experiencing so much.  Missing out on special moments because we are too busy living in our head versus truly listening. Instead, worried about everything that could possibly be or go wrong.  Negative questions within us, like, what’s wrong with me, why am I bad, how am I defective, how do I fall short of being good enough for this or that. Afraid of the consequences we may face in our lives, many of us hide, stay silent, hold back, and give up.  

The life inside our heads.  The voice only we can hear. The one we can control a bit more.  Where we can dream, judge, criticize, and worry. The life spent listening to the voice that only affects us and no one else.  Worried about the future. Obsessing about the past. One that pushes us forward or holds us back. Going in endless circles of worry, self-doubt, fear.  Analyzing everything. What we did or didn’t do. Should’ve done or shouldn’t have done. What we want to do and why we can’t do it. Justifying for doing what we did or didn’t do.  Or blaming someone else for something we don’t have, didn’t do, or say we want to do. Once we recognize this, we can also start to see things. How exhausting it is analyzing, thinking, and trying to predict the future.  The vicious cycle that actually keeps us from changing. How behind all of this is one blatant factor…FEAR. Ask yourself, what am I afraid of? What thoughts connect to those fears? How true are these perceptions? How are these perceptions limiting my experience of life?  Be aware. Reflect. Be patient and kind with yourself. If you don’t take care of your body, where else will you live?

Laurie is a graduate of the University of Delaware holding a Bachelor's in Health, Behavior, and Exercise Sciences with a concentration in Fitness Management and Strength and Conditioning. She developed her passion in fitness and health from a love of sports, most notably soccer, having played in high school varsity, elite club teams, as well as the collegiate level. She's since turned that passion into her career and is now an expert in the fields of sports conditioning, functional training, weight management and nutrition.