Priority 1: Nourish the Spirit

For this post, I wanted to delve into a concept that is very intimately intertwined with health and vitality, and that is spiritual and mental health. Frequently when we are engaging in the topic of nutrition, we are talking about how to take care of the body. Many times, we neglect our “other parts,” and by that I am referring to our mental and spiritual well being.

The mind, body, and spirit connection may be a lot more intertwined than we think. In the Western world, we take great pride in our accomplishments and our capacity to work hard to “live better,” but sometimes we may have to question whether or not that is really true. In the day to day, we have many obvious responsibilities, things that we must take care of, but do we really take care of everything? Even if we do manage to tackle our daily “assignments,” such as, making the deadline for a project, paying the bills on time, or doing the laundry, did we take the time to make sure that we took care of ourselves? Hmm.

It is a tricky question. You may have to ask yourself, “What satisfies me? What makes me happy?” It could be any number of things, but in the day to day we often use all of our other responsibilities as excuses to not have the time to take care of ourselves.

If your attitude is that you must take care of all of your practical duties first, then if you have the time you may do something for yourself, I would think again. If you as a person are not fulfilled as a whole, then how can you function efficiently? As much as we would like to be, we are not energizer bunnies. We wear ourselves down to a low and most of the time we do not realize what the true antidote is. Instead we reach for the false cures, which are things like coffee.

The truth is is that us as a whole, our spiritual beings connected with our bodies and minds, are a garden and they require constant cultivation. The way to grow the most beautiful flowers and lush grasses is to do daily what makes you feel calm, content, and centered. Perhaps a devotion to a daily contemplative practice to gather the “bits and pieces” of your mind, or a soothing, relaxing bath every evening with essential oils, or even a few moments to remind yourself what it is in your life that you are grateful for. Whatever soothes and relaxes you and brings you back to your center is what you need. Taking this time, whether it is twenty minutes or an hour, can bring you great clarity and insight, allowing you to effortlessly accomplish your tasks.

The balance of this three angle pyramid is essential for maintaining contentment and happiness in your life on a constant and daily level. Even though the ebb and flow of life will still exist, as it always will, it allows us to deal with our obstacles in a more healthy and detached way. With this mentality, we can be far more productive and happier in our lives.