To achieve optimum wellness, and live a long and healthy life, it can be helpful to imagine that we, our body/mind/spirit, are simultaneously a science experiment and the scientist. Our goal as the scientist is to keep our science project running properly for as long as possible. As a scientist, we would determine what optimum functioning is and what would be necessary to achieve that. We would also determine if there were any factors limiting or impeding optimum functioning, and work to eliminate those.  So in the case of our body, optimum functioning of all ten major systems of the body means that everything is working properly without medication and with no significant pain present. Factors that could impede our proper functioning include accumulated toxins, slow moving elimination, parasites, bacteria, viruses, pollution, radiation, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, poor/inadequate nutrition, etc. Just as we want to eliminate what is holding us back from good health, we want to provide the body with what it needs in the form of high quality food and nutrients, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. It may be common knowledge that good nutrition is the basis of good health, but many people are less than successful implementing that knowledge in their daily lives. Many people take vitamins and supplements as a form of health insurance. On the average American diet, that is considered a good precaution. However it is possible to eat well enough to get our nutritional needs met. Vitamin companies try to take the nourishing and healing components of various plants and put them into a pill or drink. They may provide nutrition, and are clearly better than being malnourished, but they are not as powerful or as easy to assimilate as the real food that they were created from.

As one of the worlds’ most famous physicians once said:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine (460-377 B.C.)

A company that does a great job of following his advice by providing great tasting organic, vegan food that can be eaten raw right out of the bag is the Wholefood Farmacy. Not only is their food delicious and nutritious, but they have 7 and 13 day detox programs, where people lose weight, by eating food, not by denying their body food or calories like so many diet plans focus on. Click here to learn more or to order some healthy food.

In addition to nutrition and elimination, another part of the health equation to keep our science experiment (the body) running optimally is to exercise it. Those of you who have attended my Flexibility seminars know that the triad needed for optimum fitness is: strength, flexibility, and endurance or cardio. Those of you who have taken either the Shiatsu or Reiki seminars know that we have an energy body that has vortexes of energy called Chakras, and pathways for Qi to flow called meridians. Ideally our exercise programs would train both our energy body and our physical body. Many people are familiar with many methods to train the physical body such as weight training, martial arts, running, yoga, etc. Less familiar to people may be the ways that we can train the energy body such as meditation, Qi Gong, Reiki, or Shiatsu to name a few.

It has been my good fortune to have had many inspiring and knowledgeable martial arts and yoga teachers since starting on the path in high school. One person locally that I have recently returned to training with is Master Mehrdad, who runs a martials arts school for adults and children, as well as promoting, and competing in Shin Do Kumate’, a professional martial arts fighting event similar to Muay Thai featuring the highest caliber male and female athletes from around the world. Not only is Master Mehrdad one of my Qi Gong teachers, but he is also a good friend that I’m fortunate to train with a few mornings a week in kickboxing and running. If you are interested in finding out more about the classes he offers such as Shaolin Kung Fu, Hapkido, kickboxing, Yoga, or Zumba classes, as well as childrens’ classes, go to:  MasterMehrdad.com.

Another way that we can make a significant impact on our health, is by seeking out trained health practitioners to receive therapy on a regular basis, and not just when we reach crisis mode. Although acupuncture, Reiki, assisted stretching, and Shiatsu, each have a different approach or method, they each can be used to correct imbalances, to relieve pain in the body, lower anxiety and stress, or to enhance athletic performance. These modalities can supplement the efforts made by the patient to improve their health. Rather than promoting a dependency on the therapist to provide relief, we can stress the team approach of the therapist augmenting and supporting the effort of the patient.