This article is part 3 in a series called, The Four Pillars of Health. The part two is on Nutrition. —EH Stafford, Managing Editor

 

Self-care is the practice of taking action to improve one’s own health

This pillar is the one that most people think the least about and yet it is very important because it involves our attitude about health in general. Here is an accurate quote about self-care:

“Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health” —From Psychcentral blog

The activity will be different for each of us since we are all unique.

 

 

What helps to calm your mind and emotions?

Does going for a walk in a park or the mountains appeal to you? Does getting active by riding a bike, going for a walk, playing tennis, or going for a run bring calm and peace?

 

What do you do for fun?

We all need to laugh more. Are you someone who prefers having some form of bodywork done? Maybe you need a combination of all the above to help your body experience rest and relaxation.

 

 

When the body is allowed to go into rest and relaxation, that is where the healing takes place.

Many individuals live in the stress of  “fight or flight” mode. Many don’t even realize it until health concerns start to crop up — such as anger, irritability, headaches, increased blood pressure, lowered immune system, stomach issues, and aches/pains in joints and muscles. Not to fear, there are ways to help bring the body into the relaxation “rest and digest” mode.

 

A simple way to help calm the body and mind is deep breathing.

Experts call it Box Breathing, where an individual breathes in, holds, and breathes out for the same count of seconds in each section. There are also two techniques that I have experienced that may help with the mental, emotional and physical health issues that I mentioned above. The two techniques are Emmett and Bowen Technique. They help to reset or reboot the nervous system through a series of moves using light touch.

 

Light touch

I know this may sound crazy, but the body actually responds exceptionally well to the light touch. The light touch acts by triggering a relaxation response in the soft tissues of the body, resulting in the feeling of improved comfort and well-being. The belief with the light touch is that the brain has the ability to self-evaluate and re-calibrate using sensory receptors within the body. Specific points on the body are used to bring about this change in muscle tension and give pain relief to the body. I can personally attest to this myself.

 

Whatever you do, take the time…

The important part of self-care is that you actually take the time to do something to bring improvement to your mind, body and spirit. We all need to find that peace and calm to give our bodies the health they need to function properly.

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

Christine Cosby, CHC, EP, PBP, LMBT

As the owner of Holistic Body Therapies, I seek to improve my client’s health and movement with nutritional support & bodywork techniques. I am proud to offer bodywork, nutritional support, and health coaching to my clients.  The two primary bodywork techniques I use are Bowen and Emmett Techniques, which help to reset the nervous system using light touch. In addition to these techniques, I am also excited to offer nutritional guidance to my clients as a certified health coach with the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute.

 

 

 

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