I often wondered about the balance of my life. Honestly, my balance has always been a little off. There have been times where I lacked or over concentrated on one or more of these 5 pillars. I remember learning about them a long time ago in an article that I read back in the early 90’s. Probably in a Cosmo. Lol I reflect on them from time to time, but really wish I would’ve cut them out and put them on my fridge as a daily reminder until they became a automatic part of my day. Feel free to print out the attachment btw. 😊 put it on your fridge if you wish.
Seriously, had I followed the strength in the knowledge of the 5 pillars, things probably been a little less complicated in my life. Other stories for another time.
All 5 pillars work together. In order to have full benefit of one pillar, the others must be fulfilled too. If we neglect any one of the 5 pillars for too long, it can affect our well being in a negative way.
- Rest/Sleep: This doesn’t just mean closing your eyes and getting a good 8 hours. It’s the ability to turn your brain off. Go into a state where your brain goes into a good Alpha state, undisturbed. Then, going deeper into the Theta state where we dream, allowing our creativity to explore. And, then deeper still into the Delta state where we don’t dream, and our body can go into repair mode. I think of the brain waves as cycles of a dishwasher. Going through each cycle. All the while cleaning our mind and keeping things fresh each day.
- Fuel/Food: you know the old saying, “ you are what you eat”. Well, I believe we are. If you think of food, think of the making of the food utilizing all 5 senses: sound – crank on the tunes, sight – look at those great colors of veg, fruit, breads, eggs…, touch- feel that food, make sure it’s fresh, give those oranges the squeeze test, smell- oh those fresh smells of blueberries, cheeses, eggs, and of course, taste! Flavors galore!!!
- Movement/Exercise: we need to move our bodies!!! Find that thing that moves you and do it a couple times a week, minimum. Dance, yoga, tai chi, ride a bike, find a hula hoop, or a pogo stick. Whatever, it is, find your jam!!!
- Soul Care/ Emotional Well-being: This one is a broad one. Whatever your belief, find time in each day to practice. Meditation, allows you to clear the clutter. I recommend clearing the clutter 15-30 minutes a day. If your stressed out, it actually helps to calm your heart rate, elevates anxiety, helps with focus…Yoga Nidra for 20 minutes is a great way to go deeper in the brainwaves and feels like a 2 hour nap. Also, don’t forget the self physical care, read a book, take a bath, get a manicure…
- Relationships: We are instinctively wired to others. So it’s important that we have at least 1 friend that we can reach out to if need be. You don’t have to have 50 people in your circle. And it’s important to think about our relationships with our pets, the earth, community…
Well, I hope you enjoyed learning about the pillars if you’ve never heard of them before. There are different versions out there. But, I do believe this kind of wraps them up.
Hope you’re all doing well. Stay safe!
Love and Peace, Dawn
The Holistic Road 