DAY 2: Mind, Body & Spirit Session
Deborah Szekely: Challenge Your Mind The godmother of spa, Deborah Szekely, opened the Mind, Body & Spirit Session with a message that beats at the heart of the spa industry: the importance of a nourished and nurtured mind to one’ s overall wellness. She shared her thoughts on how, at 90 years young, she nurtures and challenges her own mind. Szekely’ s key elements of a healthy mind include:
● Creativity.“ Creativity keeps the mind fresh and ever challenged.” She defines creativity not as a bolt of brilliance but as“ inner directed growth.”
● Conscious breathing. The brain requires“ gobs” of oxygen. Conscious, mindful breathing keeps the mind young by feeding it what it needs.
● Movement. Exercise helps move more oxygen to the brain— and“ move we must.”
● Intentional silence.“ Find time in your life to have a meeting with your mind. Just the two of you.” She suggested setting a daily time when your mind is open and change can find a home in it.
● Resilience. The mindful person is resilient.“ When things don’ t go as you wish, the mind can bring you back.”
● Reflection. Reflect on how you spend your time. Study your weekly calendar. Did you spend the past week adding value to your life?
TAKEAWAY:
How do you inspire the minds of your clients?
Readjust your schedule for the week ahead to reflect what you need to grow and serve.“ Valuing your time is key.”
● Nurture.“ We finally have proof that the mind gets smarter, that the mind grows and develops.” Continue nurturing and training your mind.
● Faith, trust and intuition.“ Trust in that gut feeling.”
● Passion.“ Find your passion and your mind.”
FIND OUT WHAT’ S ON SZEKELY’ S MIND at wellnesswarrior. org, her new online initiative dedicated to helping individuals and groups organize locally and lobby nationally on behalf of health and wellness for all.
Dr. Jordan Metzl: Exercise is Medicine Sports medicine physician and Iron Man athlete Dr. Jordan Metzl dovetailed from Szekely’ s point on movement by zeroing in on the importance of exercise. Obesity in the United States is on the rise yet, as Dr. Metzl pointed out, the American medical system continues to churn billions of dollars into treating disease without incentivizing wellness. How do we as wellness innovators break this chain? Be examples by honoring our own bodies.
● Set a fitness goal. Create a realistic goal for your body type with gradual progression.
● Strengthen the kinetic chain. Understand the interrelatedness of all of the muscles in your body and incorporate workouts that help avoid injury.
● Recognize injury. Sports medicine is a preventiondriven discipline. See your doctor to prevent acute or traumatic injuries.
● Do it daily. Create a healthy habit by exercising daily.
Louis Schwartzberg: Beauty for the Soul Award-winning cinematographer, director and producer Louis Schwartzberg brought the Mind, Body & Spirit Session to a close with an inspirational exploration of the beauty in nature. Through his artfully produced time-lapsed camera work, he visually represented that, not only is everything in nature connected, but we as humans are all connected.
The ripening of a strawberry, the opening of a cactus flower, the flutter of bat wings, a butterfly taking flight for the first time— these images
TAKEAWAY:
How do you inspire the minds of your clients or customers to honor their bodies through movement?
TAKEAWAY:
How do you visually represent the beauty in nature to inspire your clients?
remind us that we are all on a journey to be connected through a universal energy that celebrates life.
“ Nature’ s gift of beauty allows us to cultivate appreciation and gratitude,” he said.
( CONTINUED ON PAGE 30)
28 PULSE ■ December 2012