Amidst all the heated talk about healthcare these days, I read a commentary by Dr. Mark Hyman that made a lot of sense to me so I feel compelled to share it. Read Dr. Hyman’s article.
I share Dr. Hyman’s belief that the majority of the focus in the healthcare debate is misplaced. I am particularly “on board” with one of his key suggested strategies for improving our wellness landscape…. He termed it “intensive lifestyle therapy.” To me, this equates to taking charge of our own health as individuals and as communities.
Certainly, making health-care affordable and accessible is important and there is definitely a need and a place for modern medicine. But that is not what will make us healthier human beings. Instead, what if we just didn’t have to go to the doctor or emergency room that often?? What if we didn’t have to depend on a gazillion medications?? If we lowered demand of these things, doesn’t it make sense that costs would automatically go down??
Politics is certainly NOT my area of expertise or interest, so I usually stay away from political debates. That being said, promoting wellness IS my passion and mission and in that regard I will say that so many of us have given up our personal power. We’ve given up our power to convenient processed foods that don’t nurture or energize us, to “quick-fix” pharmaceuticals that just cover up our symptoms (not to mention they cause many other side effects!) and to the medical community with the mindset that they can somehow “fix us”.
This makes me think of a very profound quote from our pop culture… “With great power comes great responsibility.” (And yes, for all you comic book fans out there… that is a quote from Spiderman! :-)) While we can debate over whether the great powers in our society are acting with great responsibility, I believe that as individuals we can make a difference by simply following the converse of this statement… “With great responsibility comes great power.” If we take back responsibility for our health, we take back our power!
How do we do this? Commit to breaking those bad habits that sabotage your health and in their place create new ones that empower your well-being. I know… you’re thinking, “This is easier said than done!” And yes, you are correct… but it is this type of crucial shift made at the individual level that will make a true difference in our society. As Ghandi said, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves.”
This same week I also came across some interesting tidbits in the latest Yoga Journal that speak to this idea. The first one was about the CEO of Aetna Insurance who “after a skiing accident left him in constant pain and partially paralyzed, … found relief through yoga and alternative medicine.”
Since then, he’s led the charge to build an evidence base that proves the healing and therapeutic benefits of yoga. Here are some statistics from these studies:
– 1 hour a week doing yoga resulted in lower stress in individuals
– 33% decrease in stress was found after individuals took yoga stress-reductions classes
– $2000 in health care costs was saved annually by individuals with the lowest stress levels compared to those with the highest stress levels.
The 2nd piece of interest in the Yoga Journal reported on a new elective course at Boston University School of Medicine that “teaches medical students both the practice and science of yoga.” A research fellow at the university co-created this program after being inspired by his own personal yoga practice. He stated “yoga is a way for medical students to take care of their own well-being, allowing them to become better doctors.”
For me, it’s very gratifying and inspiring to see the acceptance of yoga as not just a type of exercise but as an integrative practice for good health in our daily lives. I know it can seem like an overwhelming task, especially if you have been dealing with chronic pain or stress for a long time… but I speak from experience when I say that you can make a difference for yourself one small step at a time!
If any of this conversation has resonated with you and you are looking for some simple ways to take back your power, allow me to help you with these offers (For more information or to register for any of these, contact Sheetal):
– Meditation in the Park: Join me Sun 7/22 from 10-10:45am in Alburtis’ Lockridge Park to learn and practice basic meditation. If Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, we’ll reschedule. 🙂
– Complimentary Consultation & Sample Session of my Personal Yoga Program: This is one-on-one personal training with a holistic approach! Using yoga, breathing techniques, mediation & mindset practices, I provide a structure that includes education, support, motivation and accountability to help you achieve your wellness goals whether they be physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual.
– Yoga Self-Care for LMTs (6 CECs): In this one-day intensive, licensed massage therapists and bodyworkers will learn practical yoga techniques and principles to not only prevent injury, strain and burn-out but also enhance the massage therapy you provide your clients.
We can either allow the status quo to pull us down, or we can take responsibility for ourselves and rise above…. With great responsibility comes GREAT power.
I look forward in sharing in your journey!
Sheetal
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I’d love to hear from you…. share your comments below! To learn more about or to register for the programs listed above, contact me. To learn more about Anyone Can Do Yoga, visit www.anyonecandoyoga.com.