By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC
Most everyone would like to be healthy and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. We want to feel good and have the energy to learn, move and experience life. When we are younger, unless we have a chronic illness or disability when we are children, we take our health for granted. And why shouldn’t we? That is what we know. As children and into young adulthood, we often also feel immortal in that we don’t even think that injury or illness could happen to us at such young ages, again, unless we are unlucky enough to live with them.
As we age, become middle age, and beyond, we become more aware of our health and the importance of health. In middle age, we move our bodies less and some of us become weekend warriors. As a result, we are more prone to injury or too tired after work at our desks and involved with our families’ needs and activities to dedicate time for exercise.
At the same time, in this day and age, most of us don’t have vegetable gardens or raise our chickens and goats for fresh eggs and milk. Instead, we work, do our obligations, are busy, and often don’t take the time to make homemade meals. Instead, we rely on fast food, take-out, or quick and easy meals from packages and cans.
Not only are these factors in play, but because of them, we are stressed, don’t take the time we need for ourselves, and become more susceptible to colds, flu, and other seasonal illnesses. Add to this the long-term effects of the pandemic in which we learned to keep a greater distance from others, not to touch as often, to breathe in masks or more shallowly, and our health continues to deteriorate. We rely on vaccines, keeping our distance, and washing our hands to stay well; if we succeed. Yet, in doing so, we forget that a large part of our health involves touching others, being touched, and breathing in life. We forget the power of deep breaths, the need for deep breathing, and the need to enjoy the pleasurable scents surrounding us.
How wonderful it is to breathe in fully the smell of freshly baked bread. Also, take a walk, take in the fresh air, and smell the scents of the spring flowers, the summer’s freshly mowed grass, the fall’s scents of apples, the winter’s cool/even cold fresh air, and the subtle scent of snowflakes. And we can’t forget the smell of freshly washed clothes or the scent of our children, partners, and friends. The pure luxury we feel is taking in the smell of our partner and children as we kiss, hug, and snuggle. Just remembering them makes me feel good and has me breathing the memory in deeply as I noticeably relax. We breathe each other in!
And last but not at all least, the power of touch; holding hands, touching each other’s skin, kissing, massaging, and loving each other. We can’t live well without touch. Touch is implicit to our health and wellness. But here we are, touching less, so conscious of how close we are to others and making sure when we are out and about to breathe more shallowly around others, so afraid we will get ill that we forget that touch and smell are just as important to our health as food and exercise.
So let’s touch each other, take in each other, and take time to smell and enjoy life, as we also take time to relax, make good food, and take a good healthy walk. We can’t forget how using our full senses are essential to our wellness and well-being. What good is being alive if we can’t experience the full beauty of life, which includes touch and breath? As we say, To Life!
To schedule a session with me, contact me at gail@bodypresencing.com, 314-995-9755, and visit my website www.bodypresencing.com to see all I offer.