Body, Mind and Spirit are a trinity that brings spirituality to the forefront. It also speaks to our lifestyle change quest to find more energy, meaning and depth in our daily lives. The body and mind function, flow and gives us commands to eat well, move more and watch how we live.Body, Mind and Spirit in Balance in this drawing

Mindfulness is key to wellness. As we rush through our daily stresses, we are often not mindful of our need to just say ‘stop’. Mindfulness can also be described as ‘spirit’ – and without it – the whole concept of what lifestyle changes mean would not be met. That ‘soul feeling’ that you get when you hear a great piece of music, watch the sun rise and children play is indeed a ‘divine’ state of inner peace. A feeling of being in balance. To allow yourself to just sit and breath for a while –  that is part of lifestyle changes too.  Soul Feeling!Body, Mind and Spirit with jazz music notes illustrating a good soul feeling

Body, Mind and Spirit – dynamically interlinked

The word ‘Spirit’ comes from Latin and means ‘breath’. It has many different meanings and connotations.  Spirit is often used to describe ‘consciousness’ or ‘personality’. The word is also used when talking about soul, as a contrast with a living body.

Today the concept of body, mind and soul are often spoken about as dynamically inter related – and that changes that are introduced at one level has a ripple effect throughout the whole unity – body, mind and spirit. The result is a balanced healthy life.Lifestyle steps for wellness and energy

HAVE FAITH

Finally – and most importantly perhaps – spirit is directly linked to faith.  Faith can mean that you follow a religious belief, but it can also simply mean that you believe. You trust that you will get reach a set goal, that the journey there might be challenging – but because you have faith you will get there.

“Faith is not a leap in the dark; it’s the exact opposite. It’s a commitment based on evidence…’ John Lennox

 

“Where there is evidence, no one speaks of ‘faith’. We do not speak of faith that two and two are four or that the earth is round. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence.”Bertrand Russell

Both thinkers above are juxtaposing faith or belief, with evidence. Do we need evidence to believe? The Human Body Systems and their scientific connections is evidence. The new research which shows how the mind and moods improve from a change in lifestyle is also clear evidence. To actively work on inner peace, and increased awareness, and simply find stillness in a busy and stressful work/life the lifestyle change no 1 is so-called ‘mindfulness‘. 

Faith quote from Martin Luther King

Body, Mind and Spirit – Mindfulness

Mindfulness as a concept has ancient roots in Eastern thought schools.  Zen-Buddhist philosophy and practice placed it on the map for the West. It has now become embraced in Western Psychology and Therapy. This is not surprising since Mindfulness has been scientifically shown, by scientists practising mindfulness meditation such as Jon Kabat-Zinn to have extensive benefits for the human mind, body and quality of life and performance. Mindfulness is the part of lifestyle change that is least spoken about – but is so important to our overall wellbeing. 

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Instead of planning for your next move, or shopping list – you sit still in the moment and observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance. When you eat, for instance, you appreciate the sensation it gives you, how the food tastes, how it makes you feel. You are mindful of the active act of eating in that moment, rather than watching TV, reading or checking your mails while somehow also ‘appreciating the food’. 

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

Research has shown that practicing mindfulness, even just for a while, can bring many benefits such as:Body Mind and Spirit in balance if all aspects of life are looked after

  • Stress reduction and relaxation
  • Improved memory & concentration
  • Enhanced Creativity
  • Insight and Clarity
  • Improved analytical skills
  • Dissolves problems related to stress and anxiety
  • Reduce risk of heart problems
  • Therapy for depression
  • Promote curiosity, openness and acceptance
  • Learn to enjoy richness of experiences
To start practicing mindfulness you can simply follow a few of the tips laid out in the articles below, and be more aware of your every moment.
Read something inspirational everyday, appreciate the sun rise, listen to great music – and find your Soul – feeling! Body, Mind and Spirit with jazz music notes illustrating a good soul feeling
 
Body, mind and spirit in harmony, and balance is what we strive for when looking for lifestyle changes. The soul feeling, health, fitness, energy and happy moods you get are unparalleled to anything you have ever experienced before – and while you may have started off thinking that you needed to do some small changes to feel better – by the end of your new year you will have come further than you ever thought possible. It starts with one small step. 
 
Body, Mind and Spirit illustrated by eastern painting of outstretched hand
 
Share your thoughts about what inspires you to change – and your tips on how to get there. Share this post with your friends, and send them the link to the newsletter! Thank you for being my inspiration every day! The GOODista

 Related Reading:

Mindfulness Definition and Practice, Berkeley University 

Mindfulness – Basics, Psychology Today 

What is Mindfulness? Wildmind.org 

How to practice mindfulness in your daily life, So Feminine UK. 

Mindfulness – and introduction. Soul hiker blog