Your (No Longer) Secret Wellness Program

Reiki healing

What’s in your wellness wallet? Perhaps, like many people, you think your wallet’s empty, and berate yourself for all the good things you think you should, but don’t, do to maintain your health and well-being.

That’s why I call it your secret wellness program; it’s a secret you keep from yourself.

Get ready for the unveiling.

While you’re probably right that you don’t have the ultimate-perfect-ideal-and-totally-impossible-given-the-details-of-your-life wellness program that some screwy part of your mind tells you is necessary to make a difference, I bet if you take a look, you’ll find you do more good things for yourself than you realize.

Let’s make this very easy. I’ll mention some categories and ask a few questions to get you started. You take a minute to make note of how you support yourself in each area.

Before you know it, you will have identified the healthful supports you already have in place — your secret wellness program — and you’ll feel more empowered in your self-care.

Your personal wellness program

FOOD
What, when and how do you eat?
What food do you prepare yourself?
When do you eat fresh food?
What beverages do you enjoy that don’t contain sugar or artificial sweeteners?
How often do you share a meal with family or friends?

ACTIVITY
When and how do you move your body?
Do you stretch before getting out of bed?
Dance your way to the shower?
Walk up a flight of stairs (or two) instead of taking the elevator?
Stroll down your street after dinner?

COMMUNITY
How do you receive and give social nourishment?
With whom do you enjoy spending time?
How often do you have face time with that person?
Who comes to mind when you need support?
How do you nourish that relationship?

CHALLENGE
To what do you aspire?
In what ways do you enjoy pushing yourself?
Are you reasonable about challenge, or do you easily become self-critical and defeatist?
Are you a relentless whole-hogger, or can you back off a little and still enjoy the activity?
Do you give yourself breaks during your work period?

ENVIRONMENT
How does your physical environment support and delight you?
What’s your favorite place in your home?
When you open your eyes each morning, what do you see?
Which is closer to your bed, your yoga mat or your computer?

PLEASURE
What do you do just because you enjoy it?
When was the last time you engaged in a pleasurable activity?
Does this activity have a regular place in your schedule?

SPIRITUALITY
How do you engage with your inner life?
When do you give yourself moments of silence and stillness?
Do you spend time in nature?
Who or what inspires you?
Where do you find meaning?

A holistic perspective

Congratulate yourself for what you have already in place. Taking care of ourselves in today’s world is an accomplishment to be applauded.

Rather than judging any one element — or yourself — harshly, look for overall balance.

EXAMPLE:  generally speaking, standing while eating isn’t good form, but if you’ve been sitting and sedentary the rest of the day, maybe it’s not so bad.

Notice what areas of your no-longer-secret wellness program you’d like to strengthen. Scale down your expectations and think of small, very doable adjustments.

EXAMPLE:  instead of berating yourself for not meditating regularly, pause to sit quietly for a few moments before lying down to sleep each night.

EXAMPLE:  if you want more physical activity, instead of taking a parking space in front of the store, park where you can walk a bit.

Decide to stop chasing out-sized, unattainable goals and shift your attention to the little things you can do; then do them. Little things matter.

Reiki and your wellness program

As a spiritual practice, Reiki can anchor your wellness program, but it is not itself a wellness program.

Like all spiritual practice, Reiki helps us feel good about ourselves and our lives, have a sense of agency (know that our efforts matter), and experience meaning, creating a foundation of well-being.

Meanwhile, the balancing effects of Reiki practice optimize the body’s self-healing mechanisms. As the body starts healing itself, people tend to experience benefit where they need it (that is what gave rise to the speculative interpretation that ‘Reiki energy goes where it’s needed’).

Among the most valuable benefits of Reiki practice is that most people start feeling better quickly. Feeling better translates to functioning better, which translates into taking better care of ourselves. In this way, Reiki practice opens the door to greater health and well-being.

If Reiki practice is not already part of your life — and especially if you feel overwhelmed by the mere thought of identifying your wellness program — learning to practice Reiki self-treatment is a smart start. Click here for help finding a quality class in your area.

If you already practice daily Reiki self-treatment, contemplate how your Reiki practice has improved your health and well-being, and inspired you to take better care of yourself. Please scroll down or click here to share the benefits you’ve noticed in a comment to inspire others.

Would you like future articles to delve into any of the categories mentioned?

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Have you seen my article in Massage and Bodywork magazine, “Reiki for Sustainable Health Care?”

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2 thoughts on “Your (No Longer) Secret Wellness Program”

  1. Thank You Pamela , my secret wellness program has been revealed to me. Throughout 2012 I have lost 12kg (approx 30lb), become more active have taken up playing sport for the first time in my life (I am 62years). My personal relationships have improved and I have almost eliminated worry from my life (those precepts work). The only consistent in my life over this last year has been practising my Reiki daily self treatment and praying the precepts twice a day or more often when necessary. I hadn’t connected the two together until your wonderful quiz. Many Thanks

  2. This is like one of those magazine quizzes my friends and I did as teenagers… or those myspace quizzes.
    FOOD
    What, when and how do you eat? Twice a day, maybe three times. Organic Vegetarian, except for Soda.
    What food do you prepare yourself? Dinners for 8 Mondays and Tuesdays, Lunches, Food for 2 on Sunday
    When do you eat fresh food? Every day- we have an organic garden.
    What beverages do you enjoy that don’t contain sugar or artificial sweeteners? Coffee, Water, Xylitol Lemonade
    How often do you share a meal with family or friends? Every night at 7 pm.
    ACTIVITY
    When and how do you move your body? Walking every day around the property, the gym machine, shoveling/physical chores
    Do you stretch before getting out of bed? not so much.
    Dance your way to the shower? heeheehee… dancing yes
    Walk up a flight of stairs (or two) instead of taking the elevator? no elevator at the Monastery!!
    Stroll down your street after dinner? yes. Twilight walks on the mountain.
    COMMUNITY
    How do you receive and give social nourishment? Living with 8-10 people with smiles and hugs.
    With whom do you enjoy spending time? My husband
    How often do you have face time with that person? Every Day
    Who comes to mind when you need support? My close friend S.
    How do you nourish that relationship? Phone chats, gchats, sharing our creative work.
    CHALLENGE
    To what do you aspire? To make visionary art.
    In what ways do you enjoy pushing yourself? Making paintings that are larger or more imaginative than the ones before them.
    Are you reasonable about challenge, or do you easily become self-critical and defeatist? Sometimes I’m afraid to start. I trick myself into it.
    Are you a relentless whole-hogger, or can you back off a little and still enjoy the activity? Depends. I like to do as much as I can to get started, then keep going in regular increments.
    Do you give yourself breaks during your work period? Yes. Kitties, sunshine, and heat make working too much difficult!
    ENVIRONMENT
    How does your physical environment support and delight you? I’ve always wanted to live on a mountain. The monastery/farm support meditation and playfulness.
    What’s your favorite place in your home? In the Sun Center with the kittens
    When you open your eyes each morning, what do you see? Colorful draped fabrics and my artwork.
    Which is closer to your bed, your yoga mat or your computer? Computer….. oops
    PLEASURE
    What do you do just because you enjoy it? Artwork, meditation, walking
    When was the last time you engaged in a pleasurable activity? Last night
    Does this activity have a regular place in your schedule? Yes.
    SPIRITUALITY
    How do you engage with your inner life? daily meditation, reiki practice, dreaming
    When do you give yourself moments of silence and stillness? when i remember. when i sit, when i walk.
    Do you spend time in nature? every day- I live on a farm/mountain/monastery
    Who or what inspires you? my mom, beautiful artwork, family, books, friends, my husband
    Where do you find meaning? pretty much anywhere.
    A holistic perspective– this quiz made me feel much happier with myself than I expected. thank you

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