2021: moving forward with hope

 2021

let us all hope 

that the world wide situation

calms down and gets better

In the blogosphere - of which I consider myself part of, each time one of my virtual blogging friends stops blogging, and this is outside of New Zealand that I am talking about, I seriously start to wonder if they are okay. Well. Or hopefully, just taking a break.

what ways can I be positively hopeful this year? Aside from the above - as we are all hopeful in this area.

I guess that it's the same for everyone, for the everyday things. As a yoga teacher, healer and clairvoyant, I came to realise that in many ways, although each one of us is totally unique, we are also so similar. 

We all have similar needs. 

(photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash) (When I thought about the first requirements for life and health, I realised that water was one of them. So basic.)

So number one for me in 2021, is an improvement in health. Actually in many ways my health is vastly improved, and this is due in large part to having regular Romiromi. This is Maori healing, which I do, and I also go to a friend whenever something is not right, health wise, for this. 

If ever you find a good healer who deals with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual  - lucky you. Such people are worth their weight in gold. I know two women who regularly visit an accupuncturist, and they thrive with this. A friend teaches Jun Shin Jyitsu, a Japanese modality, and wow - I love her work. Another works with crystals. There are so many different types of healing, from the mainstream to the "out there". 

We can also do so much for ourselves, with self-healing. Especially regarding our health.

the four pillars, or dimensions, of health

This is from the Maori culture, and to me, it is just so practical and do-able. It has changed how I look at health overall. One of the Auckland Women's Refuges uses this for  women who have suffered abuse, to restore themselves, gain dignity, and reclaim their life. (okay, those are my words, actually, but you get my drift... ) 

We are a composite of many parts. To just single out one part means that we are unbalanced. (yes, harsh lesson hopefully learnt from moi to moi-self) 

So, if we imagine four pillars, each one holding up a corner of a roof, which all represent the house in which we live - or, oneself and one's life. Now, if one of those pillars is weak, broken, or non-existent, the foundations of our home (oneself and one's life) will be unstable, shaky, incomplete. 

For example: if our physical health pillar doesn't exist, if we are always run-down, unwell, low in vitality, then this will surely affect our mental health pillar, and our family one. And not in good ways.

what are the four pillars?

• physical health
• psychological health
• family health
• spiritual health

Simple, yet comprehensive. So if I am going to improve my heath this year, I shall be looking at these four areas of my being. 

And of these four, to me, the physical one is the easiest to start with. Superficially. For, if we have trauma, stresses including financial, emotional distress - then our body will house all of this. 

So, to start with easy-peasy stuff on the physical level, this in turn does help and is not in itself, stressful. 

Honestly, looking at what we consume through food and drinks, and how we move our body - these are so important. Yet, to me, as a healer - on their own, they are not really enough. 

Nevertheless, everything has a starting point so for me it is logical, worthwhile, and just plain makes sense with using what we eat and drink, plus movement, as a starter. And the thing is, that these two elements can become part of our four pillars, for they will affect them all. 

I'm going real easy to start. I have a few friends who want to lose weight this year, and so do I. Three kilos down in about four weeks, so far.

The first thing for me is: drink more water!! Which I have been doing. Big glugs as soon as I wake up, and before closing my eyes for sleep. I also want to get into the habit of a big glass of water with each meal.

I have deliberately been eating more healthy, as I am shocked at how lazy I can be about food, living on my own. 

More incidental movement. Getting up and just plain moving, more often. So if I'm sitting for a while, I then stand up for a while. Yes, I know. Rocket science at work here. 

I stopped going to a gym to use the machines, when lockdown was over, as I really didn't like it. I am always open to changing my mind about this, however. And there is no way that I'm going to fitness classes. I truly am not a group person. However, I do know that physical strength is important, so, yes, always revisiting this. 

I've also been so busy that I haven't been going for promenades up and down these little hills where I live. And I do believe that heart health aka cardio exercise, is important, too. So, yes, naughty moi - need to start this. Again. 

Wow. Suddenly it's not seeming quite so easy, but I shall make it so. Easy and 100% do-able. 

So, what would be part of your physical health pillar/support/dimension?

** link to my yoga blog here

** and a link to my journey to Maori healing here

** plus a post about health here