10.000 STEPS; Walking the way to Health And Wellness

At the start of this year, i made a conscious decision to commit more time and effort to taking care of myself. I knew if i had to be more efficient then i will have to be the best version of me and that will mean not only feeding my spirit and soul but my body must be in top form too. There are six key aspects i address during my talks on "Loving yourself to Success" and one of them is Loving to TAKE GOOD CARE OF MYSELF (my body, spirit and soul).

We all are Spirit and we have souls and live in bodies. Healthy living is a result of balance and harmony of all three. A sound mind and whole soul as a result of an aligned spirit will be prisoner if the body is not whole or healthy. We all should have heard the adage that says “a healthy mind is in a healthy body.”

Indeed, when our bodies are functioning well, when we do not feel any pain, we can express the wealth and riches proceeding from our spirits through our minds; on the contrary, when we are in pain, our bodies are weak, it gets almost impossible to go pass that state of our bodies to concentrate on something else. Usually such a state of the body indicates an in balance in the whole being. Wholeness would therefore mean harmony of spirit , soul and body. That’s why we should take a good care of our bodies as we do our spirit and souls and pay enough attention to it. When I love to TAKE GOOD CARE OF MYSELF, people will not treat ME like I am nobody.

There are different ways of taking care of the body , eating healthy, sleeping well, pampering yourself, exercises etc . I chosed walking as my fitness focus with a daily target of 10.000 steps. It has been progressing from 6000 - 7000 - 9000- 10.000 and more steps. According to an article on http://www.stylecraze.com "Top 20 Health Benefits of walking Daily" by Charushila Biswas an ISSA Certified Specialist in Fitness & Nutrition, walking has benefits that span the entire being: it improves Heart Health , Aids Weight Loss ,Regulates Blood Pressure ,Fights Cancer ,Improves Circulation , Reduces Risk Of Diabetes, Strengthens Bones, Improves Digestion,Boosts Immune Function,Reduces Stress,Uplifts Mood,Improves Memory,Increases Productivity,Increases Your Creativity etc.

It is clear from this list that walking can improve your health in many ways and i am glad i decided to commit myself to walking to a healthy life.

To say it has been a smooth ride will be a lie. there was a period i stopped completely because i was depending on the support of my Mother who is my walking partner. She traveled out of the country and i also traveled for a short while those moments away from home and her absence affected me. I was left alone and my drive dropped slowly to zero. Before i knew i had stopped and all the results of walking were lost. I began putting on some weight, got  tired easily, was weak etc.

I needed to find a greater motivation to get back on course.  I have been desiring to spend more time with myself every morning to meditate, and listen to inspiring messages or music before i start my day. This Spiritual exercise has always been a great longing in my heart but i have a daily schedule that can change at anytime so i couldn't stick to the hours i set aside. One morning while working, i met a woman  walking from the opposite direction and when she got close to me i realized she wasn't paying attention to me or anyone around because she praying and singing.

This marked me and i said to myself this is what i will add to my daily routine. Besides walking for the health benefits i cited above and many more, it has become a sacred moment as well. I look forward to spending 30-45 minutes every morning, walking and contemplating the world around me while i meditate and pray.

Depending on my inspiration for the morning , i would listen to an audio message on a chosen subject of faith, or i will listen to music then i will pray or meditate.

I realized even on mornings when i feel like not walking, the thought of the nourishing spiritual exercise gets me out of bed. It has become an invisible force that drives my daily wellness journey. It is no longer walking for health but for wellness too. My whole being is being affected during these few minutes.

Great Ideas  and thoughts have been born from these brief moments. Encouragement too and direction have come from these moments. Healing, peace, calm, joy are all fruit of this. 

It is gradually turning into a lifestyle and i am looking forward to adding some more ingredients to spice up these sacred moments of self care and nourishing.