Health and Wellness

I was walking down the street the other day and noticed a sandwich board to a massage clinic with a saying that caught my attention. It said "Health is the destination, Wellness is the journey".
I thought it to be pretty clever as health, whether it is good or not so good, is a state of being.

We all have had times in our life where our bodies and minds were optimal (for example when we are young, and yes I do acknowledge that not all kids are perfectly healthy when born), this time when freedom of movement and little-to-no stress was a normal day. Some even experience this state of being at later times in their lives too, with the disciplined lifestyle that is demanded to reach this place. So yes, health is a destination. A place where we sometimes forget we are in, every moment of our lives

This is where the journey part comes in. Ill-ness and Well-ness are the same, just at the opposite ends of that spectrum. And in every single matter in the universe, there are polar opposites. My interpretation of what that sign meant was that in order to attain good health, one must keep some form of discipline for keeping their health on the good end of the spectrum.

A state of well-being comes from daily routines, like proper nutrition, exercise or movement, drinking ample water, getting enough sleep and of course human interactions that keep us smiling and feeling connected to something greater than our selves alone, amongst many other actions and emotions like Love vs Hate. For the clinic this meant getting a massage which is beneficial and feels great (this being a shared thought by many, including myself).

Keeping that awareness, a reminder to ourselves every morning when we wake up, and asking "What is my journey?", now that sounds like a good experiment :) What if very morning upon waking up you took a few moments to ask yourself if you are on the right path? When you honestly answer this question you discover what you really need. You may not be able to stay in bed to get the sleep you feel you need, or attend that yoga class you've been meaning to go to, or have lunch at your favourite local healthy restaurant, but you might go to sleep early that night, take ten minutes before your shower to stretch and do some deep breathing, and have an apple instead of a brownie at break.

Even though I didn't make an appointment for a massage this week, it was so nice to see this quote and for the reminder to check in and take notice of my own journey with this question in mind. It made a huge impact in such a small way, particularly with the simple things that I was able to tweek in my daily routine.

Happy trails to you!

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