GLOBAL WELLNESS DAY

Rhonda Armbrust 

June 13th is Global Wellness Day, when quality of life is the focus. Wellness means pursuing activities that enhance your spiritual, emotional, mental, social, and physical well-being. 

During stressful experiences, our bodies are bombarded with neurochemical and muscular responses, such as the release of adrenaline and cortisol and an increased heart rate. Wellness practices such as ecstatic dance, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breathwork can help you release traumatic responses stored in your body. 

Releasing negative emotions may be the first step in your journey toward enhanced wellness. A review of 43 studies showed that awareness of bodily sensations improves emotional regulation. As you learn to identify when you repress emotions, you learn to release them rather than store them so that you handle stress better and recover faster. 

The uninhibited movements of ecstatic dance allow you to discharge traumatic energy and open to feelings of safety. Mindfulness meditation helps you identify when and where you store negative energy. Yoga increases body awareness, such as noticing tight muscles, pressure, warmth, or numbness, and helps you regain equilibrium. Conscious breathwork promotes feelings of safety and reduces anxiety and stress. 

Modern science is increasingly studying how different holistic approaches affect you. One study showed that mindfulness exercises altered brain activity and improved focus and self-control. Participants in the study thought more clearly under pressure and handled stress better. The study also found that meditation retreats help train your mind and body, and that the results persist long after the retreat ends. Those findings align with tests conducted at the beginning and end of Best Life-ing holistic retreats. Retreat Benefits

Happiness is a primary goal for most people in practicing wellness exercises. According to Yale psychologist Laurie Santos, happiness isn’t derived from having more money, improved status, a perfect relationship, or a better job. It comes from gratitude, presence, deep relationships, enjoying ordinary moments, and acts of kindness. That is what builds lasting happiness. 

It is beneficial to create awareness and balance in your life to improve happiness. Take time to rest as well as produce. Feel as much as you think. Siphon what you can learn from every experience. Forgive yourself when you fall short of your expectations. You don’t need to be perfect, but with practice, you can learn to self-correct. 

As the universe expands, we expand as souls. You can measure your progress toward improved well-being by how often you let go of judgment and fear, and by how often you embrace compassion, forgiveness, and unconditional love. 

With so many wellness strategies out there, how do you choose your path? Improving your well-being can be a game of trial and error. So, try techniques that resonate with you. Change course when that feels right. Determine what you are striving for. What you are drawn to and what harmonizes with your intuition. 

A free wellness clarity consultation with a Best Life-ing specialist can help you create a plan to reach your goals. The experienced practitioners at Best Lifeing offer a range of holistic services, including virtual and in-person retreats.