What is Holistic Fitness?

Do your good intentions to take better care of yourself keep getting pushed to the bottom of your 'to do' list? Does your low energy level keep you from doing the things that are really important to you? Has an unexpected health issue caused you to make taking care of yourself a priority? Holistic fitness is about achieving and maintaining a balanced lifestyle; one which addresses the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental components of fitness. The practice of mindfulness helps us to know which aspect of our health and fitness we need to address.

Physical Fitness is about identifying what type of physical activity/movement you enjoy and then creating a realistic plan to weave this into daily life. We will explore what your ideal eating style is and how in conjunction with exercise, this can increase your energy level, improve your mood, and help you sleep more soundly.

Intellectual Fitness has to do with being aware of how external and internal influences affect your state of mind. Through mindfulness meditation, you will learn how to observe thoughts without judgment, enabling you to live with greater present moment awareness, respond rather than react, and reduce stress.

Emotional Fitness is about developing the skill to tune into whatever feelings are present in a particular moment in a non-judgmental way. This heightened level of awareness will help you to become more emotionally articulate, improving your relationships at home and at work.

Social Fitness has to do with surrounding yourself as often as possible with people who bring out the best in you, those who leave you feeling energized rather than depleted. In addition, choosing activities which reflect what you value most will have a positive affect on your health.

Spiritual Fitness is about experiencing a sense of aliveness as well as a sense of belonging. Designing a life which is aligned with what you care about most and which gives you a sense of meaning and purpose will increase your vitality and enthusiasm.

Environmental Fitness has to do with creating harmony within yourself as well your surroundings at home and at work. This may involve improving your level of organization, using products that are friendly to the body and to the planet, or surrounding yourself with items that bring peace and happiness.

Moving towards balance among the aforementioned components needs to be done with gentleness, realizing that while you are exploring and improving in one area, another one may be temporarily neglected. This is a natural part of change. It will take time to integrate what you are learning and for your skillfulness to become your Way. Be patient, celebrate your intention, and appreciate what you have accomplished as you are moving along your path to health and well-being.

Cheryl L. Jones is a former celebrity fitness trainer and certified wellness coach. She holds a Master's degree in Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut and a Certificate in Spirituality from Saint Joseph College. She has completed extensive training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Sign up for her monthly newsletter at http://www.themindfulpath.com and receive a free sitting meditation download. Become a Fan of The Mindful Path at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolland-CT/The-Mindful-Path/171781536335.

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