If you’re living in Vancouver, you’re probably well aware that tomorrow, June 9th, is Global Wellness Day. A full day of celebration and awareness of health and wellness. Earlier this week, Eastwood also took part in the annual Four Seasons Global Wellness celebrations. Our Meditate Luminary, Eliza Butler, has shared how she’ll be celebrating the occasion.
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Taking a whole day to just focus on my well-being is something I’ve been craving for a while. I’ve sensed an imbalance in my mind, body, and spirit, but life (as it does) hasn’t allowed me to take the time to intentionally reset, recharge, and take care of me.
Keyword: intentionally
Just like any other health-conscious person out there, I like to cross my t’s and dot my i’s. I make sure to squeeze in some movement at least once a day, I eat for nourishment and energy (most of the time), and make it a point to get out in nature.
But lately I’ve been on autopilot. I’ve been doing these things because I know their beneficial to my well-being and forgetting about why I started doing these things in the first please. I’ve been doing these things because I SHOULD. And when I think this way, all of a sudden these practices lose their effect. I become agitated if one of these practices fall to the wayside one day, my inner-critic slyly telling me, “you’re not enough.”
Which leads me to the importance of intention. According to google, intention means “the healing process of a wound.”
The healing process of a wound.
Aha! Intention is about the process, not the result. When we have the intention of being the healthiest version of ourselves, it means that we are open to the process. That even set backs lead us to important insights about ourselves. When we do things because we feel like we SHOULD, we are attaching ourselves to the results. It no longer becomes about the process, but about how to get to the results we seek as soon as possible. The irony? When we prioritize the results over the process, we never get to where we want to go.
So for tomorrows Global Wellness Day, I’m challenging myself and you to be intentional about how you celebrate. Enjoy the process, and be aware of when you’re focusing on the results, whatever they might be for you. The Global Wellness Day initiative has a 7-step manifesto to help promote wellness. Loosely based off these, I’ve come up with my own list of intentions for the day, knowing full well that I will be open to the healing process of whatever the day may bring:
1) Wake up naturally (no alarm clock, helloooo weekend!)
2) Nourish my body with plant-based foods
3) Take a longggg, easy nature walk with a friend or loved one (weather permitting, fingers crossed!)
4) Epsom salt bath. Something I’ve been wanting to do for SO long. A book, some candles, and a “Do not disturb” sign on the door. Read. A lot.
5) Full day digital detox. This one will be difficult, so I’m trying to set myself up for success by having my boyfriend hide my phone from me. Not to punish myself, but to just be aware of how often I grab for my phone during down time rather than being open to the present moment. Curious to see how the healing process will go for this one…lol!
6) Cook a nourishing meal for friends and family. This meal will definitely include some wine, good conversation, and laughter 🙂
7) Into bed by 10pm
Message me your wellness intentions for Global Wellness Day, and let’s support each other in the process of healing our wounds.
xo Eliza
Follow Eliza’s journey here