How to cultivate wellness and well-being as a way of life in the Illinois Valley
Imagine a forested path upon which each step takes the traveler closer to the destination. At times it is sometimes difficult to see how far one has gone or has to go, until at last the pathway opens up to a rich and beautiful landscape of wellbeing.
The journey and landscape will be unique to every individual, and it can sometimes be tricky to know which path is right for you or even how to choose your footing for the next step. My intention is to offer some basic guidance that can hopefully apply to everyone.
As a resident of the Illinois Valley for 20+ years, I have a deep appreciation for the land and community here and hope to offer ideas, inspiration, education, and strategies for people to live their best lives. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from Pima Medical Institute, and I have background and experience in the field of health and wellness ranging from personal training and yoga to physical therapy and bodywork. My interest and education related to health and wellness began nine years ago and I have been working in healthcare for nearly four of those years now.
We are born into this life without an owner’s manual, and ultimately, we have an incredible responsibility to care for the body we have; it is the vehicle that allows us to laugh, play, love, adventure, work, and engage in all of those activities that have personal meaning and contribute to the sweeping landscape of wellbeing. Realizing that we are personally responsible for making choices to promote health and wellbeing is a very important first step.
One of my favorite quotes is credited to a tennis player by the name of Arthur Ashe. He said “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Although circumstances are not always created equal, we can usually make at least one choice within the given set of reality we have, and often that choice leads to another and then another, like the small steps upon the forested path.
This column will explore some basic components of health and wellbeing that are fairly widely accepted through educational and scientific communities, along with possible strategies for enriching these areas of life. Until next time, perhaps consider which of the following areas of life you feel a sense of wellbeing in and which areas are struggling.
Consider physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental domains as various steps to take along the path to land within the landscape of wellness. Each of these areas may mean different things to different people and the most success will arise from finding what each area means to you and whether you feel a sense of wellbeing in that area or a need to take some purposeful steps toward greater wellbeing.