Optimizing our well being with each season doesn’t have to be a grand overhaul. In fact, some of these summer health tips are the subtlest, sweetest shifts.
The collective threesome in our lives is wellness personified. Without a balance of mind, body and spirit our humanness seems to get lost in the chaos of everyday living. We need to find the ways to keep somewhat on an even keel, even when all is swirling around in news and social media, and our personal relationships with it all and ourselves.
As summer is the season of playtime and vacations, and more sun and reading, and navigating longer days… it is important to take care of our health throughout the three months. We have this one life, this one vessel of muscles and organs and bones, this one presence on earth to make a difference in this world, and having a sound and harmonious human experience will contribute more to the offering.
A wealth of suggestions and tips for the three powerhouses of our collective souls might look something like this:
- Wake up and be grateful. The body, mind, AND spirit will soar when a feeling of gratitude overcomes your first hours in the morning.
- Spend quality moments in the sunshine, before it gets too hot in the afternoon, and before you slather on sunscreen, and before your day gets too locked into indoor things. Vitamin D is crucial for our bodies, and natural sun (without the prevention) for 10-20 minutes per day is the best way to absorb the nutrients.
- Read a book from cover to cover. Maybe two or three. Your mind will thank you.
- Connect with likeminded people or animals, or both.The intertwining of hearts feeds the spirit like no other.
- If you live near a large body of water, or if you happen to know someone with a swimming pool, a good dip and cleanse in the ocean, lake, river, any source of H2O is an antidote like no other, especially if the temperatures hover on the above 90 degree side. The healing powers of water, plus the fun of splashing and breaching out are about the best summer thing going for all the senses.
- Call a good friend. Even better, visit that good friend. Talk eye-to-eye. Be the instigator of conversation and vulnerability. Raise a glass to your friendship to make it everlasting. How wonderful it would be to do so in the summertime, when sitting on a porch, or going for a walk with another is enriching to every part of the human existence. Balmy summer evenings are the pinnacle of romance and friendship connections.
- And laugh some more. Whether going out with a group to a restaurant/bar, or finding some silly movie matinee to attend (when it’s blazing hot outside), or gathering your wits about you in private and remembering things that were always so funny, laughter is a necessary medicine for all seasons. Yet it just so happens that summertime is here and a good belly guffaw is just what the doctor ordered for your trio of soul inhabitants.
If the current longer days and warmer months are any indication of a need to hone long-forgotten skills, or relax and enjoy the beauty all around, I’d venture to say that we love summer. Our bodies love it in bare feet and less clothing. Our minds love it for the sheer nature of exploring and adventure. Our spirits love it for learning and nurturing what helps us emote and express what’s inside for years to come. The connection between all three: body, mind, spirit. These embody every ounce of what we put forth, our true selves, and every aspect in between. Embrace it and be wowed!
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