As we enter into the month of August, a month of all things bitter and sweet. The sweetness of watermelon and warm summer days, to the bitterness of summer-ending-and-school-starting, a time for putting away the beach bag and picking up the backpack and back to our busy schedules. During this transition of schedules it is important to find balance.
“Balance is the key to everything. What we do, think, say, eat, feel, they all require awareness, and through awareness we can grow.”
Koi Fresco
From inspiring quotes to traditional wisdom, we hear the key to anything in life is balance, that includes a balanced diet, balanced hormones, and even PH balanced.
Life balance in general is a delicate and constant balancing act. Factors of chaos and disorder are all around us, and the key lies not in trying to eliminate them but rather in trying to coexist with them in harmony. It takes planning to have a balance life and more importantly it takes awareness, including being true to who we are and the intentions set for of our own wellbeing. We are not our to-do list, not our have-tos or must-dos and we are not our job. Although our thoughts maybe consumed by the needs of others or things we want to accomplish, we are, most important to ourselves and to our own happiness. Bringing awareness to what we need in order to stay balanced and knowing when we are outside of this alignment is easily one of the most important practices we can start and nurture for ourselves.
Our happiness is a mixture of our needs and how we are tending to them on 4 levels of self: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, each level makes up 25% of our being and wholeness. If one or more of these areas of our life is out of proportion or unsteady, we tend to feel less happy, make poor decisions and/or allow stress to spill over from one area to the other.
It’s not selfish to love ourselves, to take care of ourselves, and to make our happiness a priority; it is in fact a necessity.
Here is what we can do to help balance all four levels:
1. The Spiritual Level
The spiritual level is our soul. Developing the spiritual body allows us to feel a sense of belongingness, a deeper meaning and purpose in life. This is the most ignored level but it is the foundation for the development of all the other levels of self and the compass for being true to oneself. To bring balance to the spiritual level and making our sure compass is on the right course, it is important to maintain connection with our inner guidance. The more we develop are spiritual self, the more we understand our soul’s purpose and ourselves, which makes it easier to align in our decisions and our goals.
How to bring our spiritual self in balance: breathe work, stillness, silence, meditation, prayer, gratitude, mantras, visualization and self-love.
2. The Mental Level
On a surface level, the mental body is our thoughts. On a deeper level, it is our beliefs, desires, values, and goals. Values and beliefs can come from thoughts that are instilled in us as a child. On the surface level our mental thoughts are geared toward goals and desires. The mental level can bring up the emotional level and emotional blocks, anxiety and fears. Our thoughts are more than just thoughts. They are what guide us through life and define us. They mold our view of the world and those around us. In the book Think and grow rich, by Napoleon Hill, he stated “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” The mind is a powerful tool that can transform your goals into reality, with the right mindset. Managing our mindset helps with self-esteem, reducing fear, self-doubt and anxiety, so we can live the best versions of ourselves. Our mindset is as important as your best idea. Develop a positive one, and we make everything in our lives better immediately.
How to bring the mental self into balance: reading, mental exercise/stimulation, eating better, getting enough sleep, positive affirmations and self-care.
3. The Emotional Level
To better understand how our emotions affect ourselves and balance, let first look at what physiologist call Emotional Intelligence, or EI. Wikipedia defines Emotional intelligence (EI) the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions. People with high emotional intelligence can recognize their own emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments. Many experts now believe that a person’s emotional intelligence (EI) may be more important than their IQ and is certainly a better predictor of success, quality of relationships, and overall happiness. Emotional intelligence is a gateway to a balanced-life. It’s essential to basically every aspect of life. In addition, more and more studies are being release about the powerful link between emotions, our physical health, and our immune system.
It has been scientifically proven that positive emotions like Love and Joy have healing effects on the body, from healing mutated DNA to the way we form scar tissue.
How to bring emotional self into balance: self-awareness, self-regulation, be social, practice forgiveness and kindness, (even to ourselves), celebrate achievements, find joy in everything we do
4. The Physical Level
Our physical body is the reflection and total sum of all aspects of who we are. It is a barometer that indicates how things are going in all the other levels of self, and it also our skin, the musculoskeletal structure and vital tissues and organs that carry us through this life. Exercise and healthy eating are typically what come to mind when most people think about physical health. We all know people who have clean eating habits and are physically fit, but who carry excessive emotional stress, this can wear on their health. While it may not be easily recognizable, chronic stress takes a tremendous toll on the physical self, in the forms of mutated DNA, premature aging and even heart conditions. Stress occurs when our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical needs are not in balance. Here at Vibrant Skin Bar we have specialized cortisol test to access your levels and one of our skilled medical practitioners can design a protocol to bring you back to homeostasis or balance. Our physical body is the reflection and total sum of all aspects of who we are. It is a barometer that indicates how things are going in all levels of self.
How to bring physical self into balance: walking, stretching, massage, yoga, running, dancing, swimming, hiking, wholefood diet, adequate sleep, self-care
All four levels must work together in harmony for us to feel whole and complete. Ignoring a level is ignoring a piece of who we are. Finding ways to exercise our four levels of self, taking the time to eat right, exercise, relieve stress, rest, and enjoy life can make all the difference in the world not only with our quality of life, but also in the richness of our relationships. It doesn’t mean avoiding your responsibilities and obligations, but rather finding a happy balance and cultivating a more Vibrant life.
From all of us at Vibrant Skin Bar, have a happy and balanced August!
