I went to a workshop this morning put on by the Santa Barbara branch of N.A.W.B.O. The speaker was Kathy Gruver. She did a beautiful job of discussing the importance of Mind, Body, and Spirit Wellness. The title of her talk was Wellness for the Working Woman: How to Take Back Your Health and Slow the Aging Process. The talk was aimed at working women, but it was equally applicable for men.
I appreciated that Kathy’s focus was the mind/body connection, and that her message was the value of each person taking back his or her own power for determining individual health and well-being. My intention always in this blog is to empower my readers to make choices which will support their own process of growth and development in all areas of wellness. I do the same with my clients in the Santa Barbara area.
One exercise that Kathy did was to hand out a sheet of paper to each of us. It had 3 large interlocking circles on it, each labeled “mind, body, or spirit.” Our instructions were to write in each circle the actions that we do to create well-being in that area. Where the 3 circles each overlap, we were to write down the behaviors that fulfill more than one area of wellness. For example, in the interlocking area between the 2 circles for “body and spirit”, I put down “walking in nature” because that creates health and balance for me in both of these areas of my being. I probably should have put it in the area where all 3 circles intersect, since it surely calms my mind as well. I would encourage each of you to try this exercise. It can be an eye-opener for the area, or areas, that need additional nurturing. Kathy has created a workbook with this, and many other exercises and information, called “Mind, Body and Spirit Workbook.”
I’m featuring Kathy in this post, because I think she’s a wonderful Santa Barbara resource for health and wellness. For those of you who live here, if you see that Kathy is presenting a workshop or lecture, you might want to check it out. I’m sure you’ll come away with lots of new information and motivation to make the healthy choices in life. Thanks, Kathy, for a job well done this morning.
For those of you who don’t live here, I would encourage you to do some research in your area to find the people who teach about Body/Mind/Spirit Wellness. There are, also, many books and articles on this important concept. If you would like some support and guidance on this, many therapists are very interested and knowledgeable as well. Be empowered to make the choices that support your well-being for now and for the future.
Until next time,
Linda
P.S. For those of you who might be wondering, N.A.W.B.O. stands for National Association of Women Business Owners.