The intellectual dimension of wellness is all about using your mind to its fullest. It includes intuitive skills, critical and clear thinking, creativity, problem solving, and lifelong learning. Challenging ourselves with learning new things and sharing our gifts of learning and creativity with others is a hallmark of intellectual wellness.
The well person pursues intellectual growth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to happen in a classroom, with a textbook and teacher. Pursuing an interest through reading, participating in a workshop, or asking questions of someone who knows about your area of interest are all different ways to guide your intellectual growth.
Intellectual wellness doesn’t equate to IQ or the notion of a single kind of intelligence. Research shows us there is more than one way of defining intelligence. We all possess multiple intelligences, but tend to favor one or two, and use the others to a lesser degree. Often, these favored intelligences will predict our choice of career. My top preferred intelligences are linguistic and naturalistic, meaning I love writing, speaking, and being in nature. It’s no surprise, then, that when I decided to change careers, I ended up where I am!
If you find yourself struggling with a sense of stagnation or boredom, could it be because you’ve let your intellectual wellness take a back seat to the overwhelming stress of every day? When was the last time you took a class or read a book on something you wanted to learn just for the sake of learning, not because it was required by someone else?
To help identify your strongest intelligence and ways to incorporate it into your life check out http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html Once you’ve determined your preferred intelligences, you can start doing things to capitalize on those strengths. If you want to learn more about wellness and the interconnectedness of all the dimensions of wellness, check into the different workshops offered by Wilderness Wellness, or if you’d like to explore wellness further through coaching, submit a comment below.
Occupational wellness is based on the premise that, for most of us, we spend a significant part of our waking hours at work, therefore our work should be meaningful and personally rewarding because it allows us to use and refine our talents, skills, and abilities. If it is also financially rewarding, that’s a bonus, but most research shows people achieve greater job satisfaction when they feel they are contributing positively to society and that their work is in alignment with their beliefs and values. Many people identify this as their purpose or divine calling.
If you saw the movie “Up in the Air,” you might remember this exchange:
Ryan Bingham: Your resume says you minored in French Culinary Arts. Most students work the fryer at KFC. You bussed tables at Il Picatorre to support yourself. Then you got out of college and started working here. How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams? Bob: Twenty seven thousand a year. Ryan Bingham: At what point were you going to stop and go back to what made you happy?
Art imitating life? A recent study suggests that the “jolt” of job loss actually can be a positive experience as people re-acquaint themselves with what’s really important to them.
When discussing occupational wellness in my workshops and retreats, I’ll often ask the question, “How many of you have ever felt stuck in a job that sucked the life out of you?” Almost always, close to 100% of the participants raise their hands! If we are diligent and deliberate, we can literally work our way out of those unhappy and unsatisfying jobs by taking advantage of training opportunities and developing transferable skills. As we are on that journey, one of the ways to provide work-life balance is to volunteer for an organization that represents a cause that speaks to your values. And remember, whatever we project out into the Universe is what comes back to us, so if you’re in a job you can’t stand (I’ve been there), you still have to go to work with a positive attitude and create the opportunities that will allow you to achieve your full potential and be happy.
Do you need a nudge to get moving in the right direction with your career? Do you need a soul-centered plan and strategies for achieving your goals? Contact me for a no-cost, no-obligation wellness coaching consultation.
Last night at the gym I joked with a friend about being a contestant on “The Voice.” She asked, “What would you sing?” My off-key reply? “Feelings, nothing more than feelings…” Neither of us remembered much more of the lyrics from the song made famous by Julio Iglesias beyond the “wo, wo, wo” part and realized we were probably dating ourselves by even remembering the song at all, but it was good for a laugh and momentary interruption of the workout.
That exchange at the gym made me think of emotional wellness because emotional wellness is all about feelings. Feelings are expressions of emotions. Awareness of, understanding, and acceptance of one’s feelings are the foundation of emotional wellness. Part of emotional wellness is realizing that all of us experience the ups and downs, highs and lows, peaks and valleys of living. It’s also knowing that when we encounter the lows – the bad, negative, or unhappy feelings – that we can and will return to the highs – the good, positive, and happy feelings. It doesn’t mean that we live a Pollyanna-ish life, however. Being able to express our feelings and manage them, and seeking professional help when necessary, is all part of our emotional health and wellness.
One of the underlying tenets of emotional wellness is that it is better to be optimistic and enthusiastic about life rather than pessimistic. Generally, a low score in the life satisfaction category on the wellness assessment we use at Wilderness Wellness correlates to an imbalance in emotional wellness. It can be difficult to be optimistic when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of a busy life.
By focusing on making small changes, however, you can move toward a more positive life. You can take charge and learn to thrive rather than just survive!
If you need the time to escape from your busy life to focus on making positive changes, reserve a spot at one of our wellness retreats in Alaska. You’ll have the time and space for relaxation and introspection while enjoying the awe-inspiring beauty of our wilderness settings. You will leave a Wilderness Wellness retreat re-connected with the positive vision you have for yourself.
On August 27, nine humans, two dogs, and one goose set out on Holistic Hike #4 at Eklutna Lake.
The spiritual dimension of wellness was our topic for this particular hike – and although it was a relatively easy hike, the spiritual dimension of wellness is often where the hard work is.
The immense, blue-green glacial-fed Eklutna Lake was the perfect backdrop for this hike. Several hikers commented about being so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. Noticing such beauty and expressing gratitude for it is part of spiritual wellness.
The spiritual dimension of wellness is all about your world view, and where you see yourself in the world. It is understanding your purpose in life. It is that something larger that guides you, and when we take time for stillness, meditation, and prayer, it is where we find answers about our path. The spiritually well person lives a life of congruence between their beliefs, values, and actions. It includes the development of a deep appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and the natural forces that exist in the universe.
Before we set out on our hike, everyone was instructed to pick up a rock to carry with them. As we headed out on the trail, we were joined by a goose who wandered out of the woods to make his presence known. (I should clarify here that we thought it was a male. No one was sure how to distinguish male from female just by appearance). Showing no signs of injury or illness, he followed us for a few miles, sometimes walking, sometimes flying to catch up, and even swimming through some of the larger puddles on the trail. Is it possible this goose was an animal spirit guide for one or maybe all of us? No one knows for sure, but it was fun to have him as a companion on part of the hike.
Toward the end of the hike, we stopped to take a few minutes to talk about the rocks we had carried with us on the hike, but not in the geological sense. The rocks served as a metaphor for what weighs us down on our journey. Is it fear? Anger? A sense of not being good enough? What are the “rocks” we carry with us every day? In order to live our best lives, as God and the universe intended, why do we commit so much energy to something that weighs us down and impedes our journey? If we are spiritually well, we believe that life is just as it should be, and the feelings and experiences that show up in our lives as adversity or negativity are not meant to struggle against, but are to learn from, to deepen our awareness, appreciation, and understanding.
We thanked our rocks for the lessons they imparted up to this point in our journey, then returned them to the lake. By doing so, we lightened our load, making it possible for us to continue our journey with more room and energy for the positive things that we seek in our lives.
A goose joined us on our hike at Eklutna Lake. Photo courtesy John Sanborn Photography
Four of us embarked on the Byers Lake trail for Holistic Hike #3 on Saturday. It turned out to be a Goldilocks kind of day – not too hot, not too cold – and best of all, it stayed sunny for the duration of our trek.
We didn’t focus on any particular dimension of wellness before we started. We just decided to hike. We would soon discover that the “message” for the day would present itself! The trail around the lake is very well maintained and it provides for a relatively easy pace, allowing for good conversation along the way, as well as some great views. We started out heading northbound on the trail, right along the shoreline. An hour or so into the hike, it seemed to us that the trail went the wrong direction as it headed up and away from the lake and even switched back, taking us in the direction from which we had just come. I noticed another trail, not used as much, but one that had been deliberately put there, that headed toward the lake, so off we went. Sure enough it took us to the lake, but seemingly stopped there. We noticed a small trail in the tall grass that veered off from where we were that appeared to continue in the northbound direction we were originally headed, so we followed that trail until its very obvious end where semi-solid footing changed into marsh. We examined our position relative to where we wanted to be, and recalled that the information we had about the trail mentioned there was a bridge over this inlet end of the lake, and yet there was no bridge to be seen. So back we went through the tall grass and up to the main trail. Even though it felt like the wrong direction, we stayed on the trail and hiked away from the lake and up farther into the woods than we had originally been. We encountered a family coming toward us on the trail and asked them if they had made the full loop. “No,” they replied, “we only went as far as the bridge.” Ah! So we knew the bridge was near! Then one of the younger girls said, “yeah, and the bridge is really tilted!” That bit of information gave us all a chuckle and we wondered what exactly “really tilted” meant. After a few more minutes of walking, we found out. From the highest point on the trail, we were able to look down to the lake’s inlet, and the suspension bridge that crossed it. Yep, it was tilted alright! The odd angle and slight swing of the bridge as we started across elicited more than a few giggles as we made our way to terra firma on the other side. I suppose it might have been more serious had the bridge crossed a raging river hundreds of feet below.
The hike was a great way to spend the day. We were in an area familiar to everyone, yet it was new to all of us. The lake was crystal clear. We saw a pair of swans with three cygnets. We saw the oh-so-well adapted Alaskan wood frog. We were led down the trail for a ways by a very impatient ptarmigan. We marveled at the abundance of blueberries already on the bushes. At the end of the day, we traveled to Talkeetna and enjoyed a late lunch and delicious treats at Flying Squirrel Bakery and Café. Yes, life is good!
So the message of the day? While we are on our journey, sometimes the path is well marked and well lit, and the right way to go is obvious. At other times, it might seem you are going the wrong direction. It’s okay to explore the less traveled paths, or even create your own, as long as you keep moving. If that takes you the wrong direction, or proves to be a less than optimal way to get to where you are going, it’s perfectly okay to turn around and retrace your steps until you find – and feel – the right path again. Just keep moving in the direction of the vision you hold for yourself – and enjoy the journey!
Stay tuned for information on Holistic Hikes for August and September!
Holistic Hikers pause for a photo on the Bird to Gird Trail May 21
“We stand in holy places where continental plates have rumpled up rocky ranges and vast forests carpet the sweeping skirts of lofty volcanoes, where mosquitoes bite, and marmots whistle, and birds cry, where cascading streams tumble off ledges into canyons gorged by ancient rivers of melting ice, and ferns and flowers, gracing cracks in mossy walls, are mirrored on the surface of pool and pond.” William Creevey
In my previous post on the social dimension of wellness, I talked about community and connection as the bedrock for building positive, healthy relationships with people and the environment. On Saturday, May 21, five of us applied the tenets of social wellness by embarking on the first Holistic Hike of 2011. We started at the very windy Bird Point trailhead where our “food for thought” questions to consider during our outing were: “What does wilderness mean to you?” and “What is one thing you can strengthen in yourself that will strengthen your relationship with others or the environment?”
As we made our way up the trail, we tapped into our senses to fully appreciate the experience: the delightful sweet smell of emerging alder leaves; the chorus of songs of so many different birds; the chilling, crisp, cold water of winter’s run off from high in the Chugach Mountains; the contrast of colors as birch, willow, alder, and cottonwoods “green up” against the darker spruce. We also fully utilized our sense of humor and shared many laughs along the way! At the end of our six mile walk, we celebrated the day by enjoying a delicious meal together at Jack Sprat in Girdwood.
It was a wonderful experience, full of refreshing positive energy. Every step we took re-united body, mind, and spirit renewing in all of us us a clearer sense of our own well-being, and a stronger sense of connection, not only with one another, but the wonderful beauty that is all around us. The happy ending of the day was everyone planning to participate in future Holistic Hikes!
Check out our schedule of upcoming Holistic Hikes, and if you want to join us for one or more, complete the inquiry form on our Holistic Hikes page, and we’ll send you the details!
In the many different approaches to and definitions for wellness, there are an equal number of differences regarding the dimensions of wellness. The National Wellness Institute’s six dimensions include the social dimension which encourages contributing to one’s environment and community. It emphasizes the interdependence between others and nature. Often, in other discussions of the dimensions of wellness, you’ll see this referred to as the environmental dimension. I prefer the social dimension because it includes the human and physical environment and how we relate to both. It also suggests that wherever we are, we can find “community,” whether it is a classroom, a neighborhood, or even a social network like Facebook or a blog. Social wellness means contributing to healthy relationships with others, contributing to a healthy environment, and doing things for the greater good.
One of the underlying principles of Wilderness Wellness is connecting (or re-connecting) with nature as a way to disconnect with the noise and hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. It is then that one can hear their inner voice. There’s something about looking outward to take in the beauty nature has to offer, from watching the smallest creatures busy in their own community, to looking at a magnificent mountain range and being held in awe of the powerful forces that created it, that prompts us to look inward and gain perspective on where we are, who we are, and what we do.
Wilderness Wellness has a series of Holistic Hikes planned for this summer. These hikes will allow participants to connect with nature and the environment as well as connecting with others who have an interest in exploring the beauty of southcentral Alaska. Holistic Hikes embody several different dimensions of wellness (physical, social, intellectual, and perhaps spiritual) and each hike will have one of the different dimensions as food for thought during the hike. Join us for some fun exercise, positive personal development, and natural inspiration in a supportive group setting.
May 21 – Bird to Gird
June 4 – Ptarmigan Valley (Celebrate National Trails Day)
July 16 – Byers Lake Loop
August – TBA
September – TBA
(schedule is subject to change)
Hikes will vary in length and intensity. If you are interested, go to our Contact Us page and send us a message. We will send information pertaining to each hike two weeks prior to the hike.
If you don’t join us, get out there anyway! Re-connect with friends or family. Re-connect with Mother Nature. Allow those re-connections to renew your energy and your spirit.
A view of Denali, North America's highest peak, from a super-secret spot near Talkeetna.
As suggested in my previous post, wellness is holistic and encompasses more than the physical dimension of life. The six dimensions are interrelated and interconnected. Changes in one dimension ultimately cause change in the others. In my experience, most people identify with the physical dimension of wellness more readily than the others, so we’ll start there.
The physical dimension of wellness relates to how we treat our bodies. A healthy body is fed nutritious food, gets regular exercise, avoids harmful habits, and gets regular checkups and medical assistance when necessary.
You’ll note that nowhere in this description is there mention of an ideal body weight, body composition, or size. It doesn’t say you have to run a five minute mile (thank goodness) or bench press 250 pounds in order to experience physical wellness. It does say, however, that each of us needs to be aware of the things that keep us healthy and we need to move in the direction of getting and keeping ourselves healthy. Dr. George Sheehan once said, “Listen to your body. Do not be a blind and deaf tenant.”
Our bodies are amazing and amazingly resilient. For all of the abuses we tend to heap on it when we are younger (I’m recalling many nights in college where dinner was popcorn, chocolate cake, and diet soda) our body – as the saying goes – “takes a licking on keeps on ticking.” Ultimately, however, the abuse catches up. If we are listening to our body, we take the steps to change our ways and start treating our bodies better. A comprehensive physical every year is a great place to establish a baseline for the most basic measures of good health.
If getting regular check ups is cost prohibitive, check out things like community health fairs. In Alaska, www.alaskahealthfair.org lists a schedule of health fairs throughout the state. Basic health screenings are available at no or low cost to participants, along with all kinds of educational resources on how to improve your physical wellness.
Exercise doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Walking or jogging through your neighborhood is a great place to start regular cardiovascular exercise. Add to that some bodyweight strength training moves like squats, pushups, and planks and you are on your way to meeting the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) guidelines for healthy adults under age 65.
Basic recommendations from ACSM and AHA:
Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week, OR Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, AND Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.
Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.
As a certified personal trainer, I’ve witnessed several clients achieve things in the physical dimension of wellness that they never thought possible, ranging from being able to do ten pushups, to lowering blood glucose and getting off medications, to changing body composition from 40% body fat to 25%. With these changes came not only gains in real physical strength, but also mental and emotional strength and empowerment that gave rise to making changes in other areas of their lives.
What steps will you take today to improve or enhance your physical wellness? (Hint: the answer is in the question!)
If you Google “wellness” you’ll get about 1,700,000 results, and oddly enough, the entry at the top of the list is for Wellness brand dog and cat food. Now, I’m not knocking anyone’s efforts to make sure their feline and canine companions are healthy and eating good food, but I think this is a good example of how the word “wellness” has turned into a buzz word, and perhaps a profit center for many companies, leaving the consumer a bit confused as to what wellness really is.
The National Wellness Institute (www.nationalwellness.org) defines wellness as “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” If we link this definition to NWI’s Six Dimensions of Wellness – physical, emotional, social, occupational, intellectual, and spiritual – it becomes very clear that wellness is holistic, and embraces every aspect of our lives, of our selves. Your satisfaction at work, feeling that you have a purpose in life, and your connection to a community are all important components to one’s wellness. Wellness requires deliberate thought and action to move toward the “successful existence” that is defined by the individual.
With this definition of wellness, we can see that wellness is more than the absence of disease and it encompasses more than the physical dimension of life. Wellness is not an end point in and of itself, nor is it something found in a supplement, a class at the gym, or even gum (yes, there is a wellness gum out there). It’s about personal responsibility to strive toward the optimal balance of mind, body, and spirit, which are the cornerstones to a positive and productive life.
Next up: A look at the six dimensions of wellness, one by one.
Welcome to my blog! This page has existed on my website for months and I’m finally getting around to my first post. I decided that December 1st was a good day to start for a couple of reasons: it’s the first day of Hanukkah, which is a celebration of miracles, of light over darkness; it’s also the birthday of my dear friend and business partner, Roger Fischer, and birthdays are always a reason for celebration – and the story of how Roger and I became business partners is an example of one those mysterious miracles that make life delicious.
Wilderness Wellness originated in the living room of my parents’ house in the winter of 2004. While I’ve always had an interest in health, fitness, and wellness, the death of my father in 2002 and resigning from my teaching position at the University of Alaska in 2003 prompted me to seek a new path, personally and professionally. There I was, sitting in the living room in the big, comfy, green chair, staring out the window, thinking about what was important to me…and wondering how I could turn any of that into a career…when the seed of an idea was planted: I wanted to combine my love of nature and the outdoors with my passion for health and wellness and my skills in teaching by offering wellness retreats at a remote lodge in Alaska. I envisioned bringing guests to a beautiful log lodge on a bluff with a spectacular view of Denali. The pilot was Roger Fischer, the plane was the Gulfstream Turbo Commander he flew on flightseeing tours over Denali.
I set my plan in motion in 2005 by becoming a certified personal trainer. Everything after that was about learning what I needed to nurture and grow my idea for wellness retreats. Fast forward to 2009 when I was in the crowded lobby of the Sheraton Anchorage hotel and looked across a sea of people and saw Roger Fischer! It was one of those moments when it seems the world stops spinning and everything becomes silent. We hadn’t seen each other since 2004, and he had no idea he was a part of my dream! As the Universe would have it, Roger had gotten out of the flightseeing business in Denali, and now owned a lodge in Wrangell-St.Elias National Park! I shared with him my idea about hosting wellness retreats – and that I was looking for a lodge – when he told me that was exactly the kind of thing he had in mind for Tanada Lake Lodge!
In the summer of 2010 we launched our first retreat, and the dream – the vision – was realized! It felt like a miracle! It was certainly cause for celebration. The details were different – Roger now flies a DeHavilland Beaver named Matilda, and the lodge sits at the edge of a lake with a spectacular view of the Wrangell Mountains – but the end result is exactly what was envisioned, and the end result is what matters. With that success behind us, and acting on faith, we can now create and live the rest of the dream.
There is such power in believing in and exercising our ability to manifest change in our lives. Much has been written in recent years testifying to this fact, or the law of attraction. The ideas and principles espoused by “The Secret,” “The Power of Intention” and “The Success Principles” are all recent examples of this power, but the evidence has existed for much longer. If we take the example of Hanukkah: Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it.
When they sought to light the Temple’s menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity (www.chabad.org). The people believed. They acted on their faith, and the end result was realized.
More than positive thinking, or wishing on a star, manifesting change always begins with visualizing the end result.
When it comes to making changes in our lives where our wellness is concerned, the same process can be utilized. When coaching clients, I like to start with creating a wellness vision. This vision is a personal and compelling statement of who you want to be, how you want to feel, and what you want to do. While ultimately the vision is expressed in words, I like to prompt clients with simply describing how they look, feel, and act when they are at their ideal. Starting with this vision of the desired end result, what inevitably follows are changes in behavior and beliefs that take them toward that ideal. I often summarize the process as “Think. Feel. Do.”
You can manifest change. You can create your future. You can celebrate the everyday miracles that are all around us. As Mike Dooley, founder of tut.com says, “If you understand the nature of reality that our thoughts unfailingly become the things and events of our lives, if you let go of the past and move with your dreams, it will always be enough.”
For those of you who are of the faith, one candle will be lit tonight. Happy Hanukkah! For Roger, a few more candles will be lit tonight! Happy Birthday! I thank the Universe every day for you.
In honor of both of these important occasions that are all about celebration, faith, and miracles, I invite you to view this video from tut.com
