MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT IN SYNC By Adam Lazar Physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellness is essential to living a long, healthy life. For many people, these components often do not thrive in unison without actively cultivating them. The key is to find a balance that will contribute to a sense of overall well-being by either maintaining or improving the state of our bodies, minds, feelings and spirits. New routines can often be a challenge, so here are a few useful techniques to work into a daily schedule. Start with yoga. Because it comes in many forms, yoga can be adapted to suit almost anyone. Challenging poses like the intimidating full lotus or half-moon are not required to benefit from a regular yoga practice. While most of us know that yoga can help with flexibility and peace of mind, it can also help build muscle, increase balance and strengthen bones. Rebecca Paulin-Liston, Physical Therapist and Certified Yoga Instructor, points out that “weight-bearing poses in yoga help build strength in the hips and spine through compressive loading forces,” by taking advantage of gravity. She adds that “muscles pulling on bones during activation poses—such as those in which you resist your knees apart from each other in a squat or twist your torso while maintaining a straight spine— can help to build strength in the hips and spine.”
Receiving a diagnosis of osteoporosis does not mean that you should not exercise in fear of breaking something. In fact, regular exercise can help maintain or improve bone strength. Paulin-Liston teaches a specialized class called “Yoga for Osteoporosis” that’s specifically designed to offer individuals with osteoporosis a safe way to practice yoga. It is important to avoid certain poses such as rounded postures where the back of the body is long and the front of the body is short. That’s because these poses can lead to compression fractures in the spine. Naturally, it’s important to consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen. Add a Dose of Mindfulness. The practice of MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction (MBSR) is another useful tool for maintaining or improving our psychological and emotional health of which we can all take advantage. MBSR, first coined by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, is defined as “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and without judgement.” MBSR has been shown to improve mental and physical health and many therapists have incorporated a version of this mindfulness practice in their sessions with clients. Chloe Gremaud, LCSW, a Social Worker with CJE Counseling Services, finds that a mindfulness exercise helps her clients respond rather than react, and to observe rather than control
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in many situations. This is a tremendously positive reaction. She gives the example of a stressful moment in our day, like waiting in a long line at the grocery store or having a difficult conversation with our spouse or child. The outcome would be so much better if we were able to pause and reflect on the situation instead of reacting to it. In the context of mindfulness exercises, reacting comes naturally for us, while responding takes work and practice. In a typical mindfulness session, practitioners spend 5 to 20 minutes with their attention focused on an anchor, such as the sensation of their breath or the feeling of their hands folded in their laps. While attempting to focus on the anchor, thoughts and feelings will inevitably wander into their minds. But this is normal, and they are instructed to observe the thought without judgement and then gently bring their attention back to their anchor.
If you decide to try mindfulness, remember that this is by no means an easy exercise to do. As you practice, keep in mind that you are using random, wandering thoughts to build muscle. Every time you become aware of an intrusive thought when you are trying to focus on your anchor, you are being given an opportunity to exercise your “mindfulness muscle,” as if you were lifting a weight with your brain! The longer you practice mindfulness on a regular basis, the stronger your muscle will get—just like the reward of regularly working out. It’s important to remember that the goal of your mindfulness practice is not to have an empty mind. The goal is to observe and release the thoughts that will often pepper your mindfulness sessions. As you practice mindfulness on a regular, consistent basis, your ability to observe and respond will become closer to second nature. Mindfulness exercises help us to realize that the long line at the store is a temporary annoyance, and that very realization can help us let go of the stress caused by the feelings of powerlessness, anger and fatigue that build so quickly if we don’t deal with them. And when we have that difficult conversation with our loved ones, we will get to the point of being able to observe that we are feeling stressed and to take
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