Recently, I've been thinking quite a bit about what health means to me, and how my interpretation of the word has drastically morphed over the last 10 years.
Do you remember the first time that you even thought about Health? Your own Health? Take a little bit of time to think about it...maybe even jot some of these thoughts down in your journal to refer to in a few years. See how it changes!
To think about this, I needed to go way way back to a younger version of myself.
I have a very small family, as such what I think might be the typical exposure to health was minimized. I think many people probably have their first encounter with defining 'health' when a close relative such as a grandparent or aunt/uncle is sick or passes away due to some health related dis-ease. My first real encounter with a close family member passing away was my grandmother's death as a result of lung cancer 2 years ago when I was at the ripe age of 31 years old. Without intimate exposure to serious health issues as a child, the entire conversation never came up in my mind......I just never really thought about Health. That's not to say I didn't think about my body image.... but body image and health are NOT the same thing.
I've been pondering health and how my life has transformed in the recent years as I've learned more about our magical bodies. Don't you find it funny sometimes when you look back on your younger self …and how wise you thought you were; how confident you were in your identity and choices. I realize that 10, 20, 30+ years from today my entire outlook on health, family, work will continue to morph and transform ….. all of ours will. The age old concept that everything changes and nothing is permanent.
I find the more I learn about food, exercise, stress, yoga….really everything (politics, finances, owning a house, marriage, etc) the more questions I have and the more there is to learn. In my mind I hear my dad's voice reminding me as he always did; even after you graduate you will always be a student forever learning. I have to admit - I disliked when he told me that as a teenager I just wanted to be done learning, done with school….move on to my 'life'. Yet with each graduation (highschool, undergraduate, graduate, yoga teacher training, etc)…all I've ever done since is continue to learn, study, digest and transform.....it is the calling of our lives.
In the coming weeks, I plan to share more health insights with you:
- Understanding your roots and their impacts on your health
- 3 things that contributed to my recent health adventures
- Tools & Tips to incorporate 'health' as a priority in your day
I'd like to open this health discussion up to you as well. What are some of your most pivotal health moments in your life? What have you learned about health and what would you like to learn more about?
I believe some of the biggest menaces to good health are, 1. Stress (marital, financial, etc.), and 2. Fear (fear of failure, fear of loss, etc.)
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.