Health and Wellness

Welcome! Health and Wellness are embraced and celebrated at GreenVibe. We believe that one of the most important and rewarding journeys one can take on this Earth is to grow into vibrant, holistic well-being in mind, body, and spirit. We believe that as we heal and come into balance as individuals, so will Planet Earth heal and come into balance.

MEET & GREET

When I was asked to write about Health and Wellness for GreenVibe, I was at once extremely honored, a bit overwhelmed, and curious as to where to even begin to dive in on the vast spectrum of Health and Wellness. The big questions for me were:

How do I authentically inspire people who range from young to old, from disabled to healthy, from chronically ill or wounded to strong and athletic?

What are the key ingredients of Health and Wellness that support each individual no matter where they are on the spectrum?

On my journey in this life, I have been both an extreme athlete and a cancer survivor. I have been a teacher of ballet, yoga, and pilates, and a woman seeking healing from the injustice of childhood abuse and unforeseen physical illness. In this dynamic universe, only one thing seems certain: Life is a verb, in action, endlessly flowing, recreating itself. As Forrest Gump’s mother so insightfully said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” No matter your circumstance, acceptance is a key ingredient on this journey of awakening your mind, body, and spirit. We are all going to be at different places on the Health and Wellness spectrum, and that is OK.

So, where are you exactly now?

Assessing our present fitness levels honestly, gently, and without self-judgment in all our areas (mind, body, spirit) is the beginning of our own personal “hero’s” journey into the embodiment of holistic well-being. Truthful assessment implies turning inward, asking questions, and most importantly, ACCEPTING where we are from a neutral stance. When we accept ourselves just as we are, the grip of the “would, shoulds, and could” fall away and we have access to an authentic point at which we can begin our journey of self-love and growth.

Our mind, body, and spirit are intimately tied to one another. For example, if you are in physical pain that is overbearing, your mental and emotional states may be influenced by your level of pain, causing you to treat others or yourself poorly. I find that a great tool for deeper insight and awareness is to take a few minutes to inquire into these different aspects of ourselves. Some examples: Is your self-judging/negative mind keeping you from your higher potential? Is your physical discomfort tied to other negative aspects of your life? Is your spirit begging for freedom, which manifests as sadness and discomfort in your life? Asking these kinds of questions allows for an acute, wholesome awareness of your body/mind/spirit connection and creates an opportunity for growth. Connecting to this deeper inner intelligence offers space for us to truly “see” ourselves, as well as our needs as individuals wanting to grow. There are days in my life that I assess myself just once, while other days I find it benefits me to tune in much more often. There are no strict guidelines when it comes to practicing this kind of awareness, what matters most is warm acceptance. I have come to think of this tuning-in as my “Meet and Greet” practice.

Whether we are professional athletes trying to breakthrough to a new level of excellence or someone dying and in severe pain, the following practices can be the start of a deeper understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, empowering our own inner referral to become a compassionate advocates for the betterment of ourselves:

Breathe – This first exercise is one that can be done at any time, during any situation, at any place you may find yourself. It is as simple as it is profound: Notice your breath. Yes, that is the exercise. Throughout the day, just notice how you are breathing during enjoyable times, during times of stress, triggered states, when you are exercising, etc. Once you have noticed your breath in relation to your current state of being, take several deep breaths through your nose. Focus only on your breath. Inhaling slowly, noticing the coolness of the air on the back of your throat, and feeling your diaphragm, and then your lungs fill fully to the top. Followed by a slow exhale, noticing the warmth of the air on the back of your throat, the deflating of the lungs, and finally the transition of the diaphragm as it lifts. This is a grounding exercise that allows you to gain perspective. Simply focusing your mind on breathing allows for space to be created between you and your current circumstance.

Mental Labeling – I learned one of my favorite exercises for assessing my mental state from an amazing yoga instructor. It is simple and insightful: First, while sitting comfortably (consider closing your eyes most of the way or all of the way) notice your breath. Then, observing your thoughts, notice if they are positive, negative, or neutral. Just notice the label (positive, negative, or neutral) then bring your attention back to your breath. By noticing and labeling, we are not judging good or bad, but rather gaining insight into our state of being in an unbiased and nonjudgmental way, freeing us up to accept ourselves just as we are. Something to keep in mind that helps me in this process is that our thoughts are just thoughts, they are not reality. Sometimes, I like to envision thoughts in my mind as if they are clouds in the sky, just passing by. Another way to relate this concept is that thoughts are like bubbles, once you label them positive, negative, or neutral, they pop and disappear. This practice I have found to be extremely beneficial during days when I am deep in self-judgment. As you begin to realize that your thoughts do not dictate who you are or what you are capable of, a sense of freedom is unveiled.

Emotional Labeling – Hello emotions, what is the “soup of the day”? Once we have noticed our mental state of being, we can turn our curiosity to our emotions. Are we feeling happy, sad, peaceful, agitated, grateful, jealous, worthy, unworthy, angry and enraged, frozen, connected, disconnected, capable, incapable, etc. Sometimes, it is enough to simply notice whether our emotions are fear-based or love based. Labeling your emotions is a way of observing them in a detached manner. In this moment of detachment, the emotions are able to exist and be accepted without an immediate reaction. It places you in a different relationship with the emotion at hand, allowing the opportunity for you to not react, but rather to stay with it. Many people act out their negative emotions by inflicting harm on themselves or others. This practice, which can be difficult, is one of resisting the urge to react, and instead being present with the uncomfortable emotions you are experiencing. Once accomplished, this newfound way of living with (and not against) your emotions can be extremely freeing, allowing you to live authentically and out of love for yourself and others as previous patterns of harm and argument fade away.

Body Scan – I do a similar exercise while I scan my body. At times, the physical pain of my health condition is screaming so loudly that my attention is riveted by the pain. But, I learned (and this has been huge for me), that if I bring all my attention to the epicenter of the pain and take several slow and even breaths with the intention of immersing myself INTO the pain, being with the pain, and healing the pain, my relationship to the pain is transmuted from one of fear to one of compassion. Even if there is still discomfort, changing your perspective on body pain allows space for you to work with the pain, rather than the pain working you.

Then there are times when my physical body is only experiencing minimal to medium pain. After I have breathed into it, I will take extra time to notice all the parts of my body that are not in pain. For example, I would like to give thanks right now to my eyebrows for being pain-free. Go eyebrows! Today my hair and hands including my fingernails feel healthy and vibrant. This practice of gratitude opens our hearts, allows for self-love, and frees the mind of negativity surrounding our body pain and/or body image.

Spirit, the Heart of the Matter – Bringing our inward gaze to our heart centers, notice how close our breath is in relationship to our hearts. How when we are surprised, our breath intake is sharp, and our hearts reflect this surprise with a sense of sudden acute awareness. Or when our breathing is calm and slow, it is reflected in our heart’s slower beat and sense of quiet peace. Our hearts are our truth monitors. When the truth is discovered, we know it in our hearts. Some days our hearts feel open with an overall sense of well-being. We feel balanced, stable, filled with vitality, and able to embrace and navigate whatever comes our way graciously. On other days and most often, our hearts are in a sort of protective mode, or shut down by fears such as anger, jealousy, or prejudices resulting from our own personal judgments.

Taking time to assess how shut down or openly compassionate our hearts are during the many moments of our day, especially while facing social interactions and everyday stressors, is a great tool for creating self-awareness. Having the strength and courage to notice where we shut off and pull away can be one of our greatest teachers when it comes to observing, owning, then transmuting our patterns of judgment toward ourselves and others.

One practice I have found to be very effective is to lower your eyelids, turning your gaze inward. Exhale completely, then on a slow inhale feel the breath filling the space in your chest, and how the heart lives within that space. Exhale fully, then inhale slowly again and continue this breathing with a short pause at the top of the breath in order to observe your heart space. Notice the beating. Notice if your heart is feeling expansive and open, constrained and shut down, or perhaps neutral. If your heart is feeling expansive and open, notice how this feeling radiates into your whole being and even beyond yourself. When I feel this way, I feel plugged into something bigger than myself, I feel connected, and I feel fully present in the moment. On the other hand, when my heart is feeling constrained and shut down, I take measures of how shut off I am on a scale from 1-10 (mild suffering to rage). In times like these, it helps me to set the intention of being gentle with myself and to give my suffering a little space. This may not be the best time to make big decisions or take action. I also set the intention of doing no harm to myself or others during these times, but rather to allow myself to hang out with the intense feelings of whatever it may be that has triggered me.

By not acting out against ourselves or others, we begin to learn to detach, become the observer, and also embrace and take ownership of our own suffering. We are our own greatest teachers when we make the inward journey into our hearts. We come into knowing our fear and facing our fears with wide-eyed strength and courage. The greater our suffering, the greater the call to embrace it in an unbiased, gentle manner. This is our path to an even more expanded and compassionate heart. The more we experience this inward journey of self-acceptance and growth and courageously face the numerous ways our hearts close off to ourselves and others, the more our hearts evolve and open in our ability to accept ourselves and others compassionately. As we continue, a feeling of true and authentic connection with ourselves, others, and planet Earth is created.

Wishing all beings holistic well-being. And remember to Tune In, Breathe, and Evolve. -C.B. Defilippo

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

I truly hope you have enjoyed and found value in the GreenVibe Health and Wellness “Meet and Greet”. Many parallels can be found between these practices and practices like meditation, yoga, chi-gong, and spiritual/philosophical teachings around the globe. The purpose is self-awareness, which is a universal truth. While this is a great starting point for anyone aspiring to holistic health, the awareness that is created by the above practices truly blossoms into tangible reality when accompanied by action. We encourage you to check out our monthly blogs on Health and Wellness, found in our blog section.