A fulfilling life is one that prioritizes self-care while at the same time, recognizes our responsibilities and connectedness to all living beings. Identifying your life’s purpose and meaning often requires deep introspection and reflection. These pillars support health and well-being in body, mind, and spirit.
Pillar 1: Sleep and Restoration
Sleep is vital for health and wellness. The body and mind undergo well-deserved restoration while we sleep. Disconnecting from devices in the evenings, taking a warm bath and incorporating peaceful breathing techniques into your bedtime routine are wonderful practices to help get rest each night. Most adults need 6-9 hours and teens need more.
Pillar 2: Nutrition and Nourishment
Clean eating positively impacts the immune system, energy levels, mental health and skin. Making healthy food choices improves nutrition and helps the body and mind function at their best. This includes drinking plenty of water.
Pillar 3: Exercise and Movement
Movement is crucial for life longevity. It doesn’t matter what activity you choose, but getting moving every single day is an excellent wellness practice. 20 minutes of cardio a day increases happiness and promotes a healthy life. Yoga stretches provide needed flexibility in body and mind. It is even more valuable when exercise is outdoors and we are spending time in nature, experiencing its healing benefits.
Pillar 4: Socializing
While this is difficult during quarantine, we still need to make sure we are connecting to friends and family. Technology can help and we are lucky to have some, even if it’s just a land-line telephone that allows us to call and talk to people. In our own homes, we need to put phones and other devices aside and play games, have meals together, listen to music and dance together, watch movies and TV together, and learn from each other, regardless of our ages. Mom and Dad can learn to play video games (and lose) and kids can experience black and white movies (and groan). But together. Zooming in to meditation sessions can also be surprisingly nurturing, creating social contacts that also nurture our Practice. Human beings are social animals and we need these “spiritual friends.”
Pillar 5: Meditation
Zen Meditation Practice is not an achievement to conquer. Daily meditation creates space for peace of mind. It helps us develop the attention and awareness that allows us to be fully present with other people and all living beings. It cultivates the equanimity we need to ride out the everyday storms and inevitable changes in our daily life. While it may be easy to add “in these very difficult times,” when we look at humankind and our existence over eons, when have people NOT faced difficulties? Siddhartha Gautama’s first noble truth, “Life is suffering” was voiced 2500 years ago and is no less true today. However, he also taught that there is a way out of suffering and that is through our Practice.