Lifetime Wellness

There is an undeniable fact that the day you are born is also the day that you begin your inevitable march towards death. Buddhism teaches a philosophy of impermanence. Nothing that you have at any given moment is guaranteed to be there in the next; old age, sickness, and death are guaranteed to be a part of your human experience. Simply put: everything that is “alive” (at least biologically) will one day “die”. We aren’t talking about the infinite reality of the human spirit, God-consciousness, or aspects of faith, love, and positivity that carry beyond the physical realm. We are specifically focused on the fact that you have a physical body, that this physical body lives and dies, and that this physical body will never be a permanent structure. Every cell within your body replaces itself within about a decade.^[1]

Lifetime wellness isn’t necessarily about sticking to the next fad diet, or pushing yourself through endless juice cleanses that have no lasting effects. Lifetime wellness is about the ability to consider your health and wellness from a “whole-person” standpoint with awareness to the road ahead along your journey of physical changes, habits and behaviors, and the opportunity to see yourself as always being connected with your inner divinity. Lifetime wellness is about recognizing that what you did when you were 14 is different than what you can do when you are 40, and certainly not holding yourself in contempt for not being able to “do it like you used to.” All human bodies go through changes. These changes are typically either good or bad based on the choices that you are making for yourself.

This isn’t to shame eating the junky fried plate from your local Pub, or to say you shouldn’t enjoy that cocktail on a Thursday afternoon after a long day. No! In fact, I would always advocate for someone to live every aspect of their life… in moderation. A key to moderation is not becoming fixated on one part of life but, instead, taking a big-picture view so that assessing your overall balance of priorities is possible.^[2] Balance, moderation… these things sound just like the idea of the “Middle Way” in Buddhism. I’ve heard it recently described as “living life in contrast.” It’s impossible for anyone as part of their fully human experience to live wholistically all the time, unless that being is Enlightened and I have yet to meet them. It’s alright to enjoy that pint at the tavern if the other days out of the week you’re eating a healthy, balanced portion of meals and exercising.

Being a whole-person is about looking at your wellness wholistically; meaning, you want to do things that balance your mental health, physical well-being, spiritual passions and beliefs, and does this in community with others who are aligned in similar thoughts and values. If you surround yourself with friends who only choose to go out to the bar every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, then that’s the person you’ll become. If you surround yourself with friends who are active in their lifestyles, and aware of their spiritual wellness, then you will begin to see the importance of these things and make better decisions for yourself just by the nature of what you are seeking and attracting into your life. Time is the one resource you cannot get back. Treat yourself wholistically to a massage, spiritual counseling, or that pint at the pub on a Sunday.

[1] Opfer, C. (2021, April 14). Does your body really replace itself every seven years? How Stuff Works Science. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/does-body-really-replace-seven-years.htm
[2] Flora, C. (2017, July 17). Moderation is the key to life. Psychology Today. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201707/moderation-is-the-key-life

Wholistic medicine already has practical applications. Check out this story about someone who tried out the integrative approach. It’s never a bad idea to check out a TEDx talk. Take a look at what a psychiatrist has to say.