How You Doin?
Stats tell us that we tend to starve one or two, and only feed one or two. Where are you today? Let’s find out!
Scholars, writers, teachers and preachers can all agree on these 4 main ingredients for a well-balanced life. According to the masses, we all tend to starve our spirits the most, while feeding our bodies. Of course this doesn’t apply to everyone. And no matter where you might find yourself today, we can definitely help with ways to feed all 4.
Thoughts on Addiction from The Sanctuary in Sedona…
The Mind, Body, Soul, and Spirit Connection: What it Means in Addiction Treatment. We’ve all heard innumerable references to the “mind, body, soul, and spirit.” If you’ve ever sought a holistic approach to health and wellness, you’ve surely come across this phrase. To a certain extent, we know that this describes the different aspects of a human being, but when we really stop to think about it, do we know what it means?
What this means – and how it relates to the processes involved in both addiction and recovery – is that anything that affects one of these areas, in turn, affects all of the others. A disease that affects your body will also affect your mind, soul, and spirit. We are whole and each of our parts, while they may seem unrelated, are in fact intimately connected.
Holistic addiction and trauma treatment is an approach based upon that very knowledge – that lasting recovery can only occur when your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health are all addressed. While conventional treatment centers are often fragmented in their approach, focusing primarily on the mind and peripherally on the body, holistic treatment is designed to address the root cause of the addiction, support complete healing and restore balance to your whole being.
Defining Our Human Nature
The Body
Our bodies are the physical aspect of our human form. Amazingly, they consist of almost 50 trillion cells that communicate, interact, and organize to form our tissues, nerves, bones, and organs. The body expresses itself in the language of matter, atoms, particles, and molecules.
The Mind
Our minds are the mental and emotional aspects of ourselves. They process thoughts, ideas, feelings, and emotions. The mind is consciousness, memory, and imagination.
The Soul
Our souls are the non-physical aspect of ourselves: our personal, individual expression of the divine. They’re the part of us that longs to have meaning and seeks answers to the great questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? The soul is eternal, and it communicates in the language of creative expressions like music, art, and poetry.
The Spirit
The spirit is the vital force within all things. Some people may refer to the spirit as God or Creator.
Integrating All Parts of the Self in Holistic Addiction Recovery
The mind, body, soul, and spirit are the components that collectively define human existence. When we don’t address our suffering in a holistic way, we’re missing the very connection that allows us to reach our true potential for wellness and vitality. And if we don’t take the entirety of our being into consideration during treatment, all the work we’re doing will only serve to alleviate symptoms of addiction and mental illness, and never address their root cause.
The only way to fully heal is via a holistic program that works on all human levels.
Author Brett Pyle on Your Extraordinary Why!
A Blog from his Website…
Habits Shape Your Legacy
My sister Pamela is a concert pianist. She’s really, really good at playing, and teaching, piano. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston then went on to get her Masters from the Juilliard School in New York City. She spent the next decade working at Juilliard in the studio of world-renowned violin teacher, Dorthy DeLay, collaborating with some of the world’s greatest violinists. Today, Pamela is a Professor of Collaborative Piano at the University of New Mexico.
How did Pamela gain her piano expertise? Yes, clearly she was born with a great deal of natural musical gifting. But more than that, she practiced A LOT!
When we were kids, I’d be outside playing with my friends while Pamela would be inside ‘playing’ with her piano. Yes … ‘playing’ in quotes – it was actually a lot of hard work! Back then, she practiced an average of 2-3 hours daily. In some seasons of her life, Pamela’s practiced up to 8-9 hours daily! (Even she now confesses that may have been ‘too much.’)
Brings to mind the old yarn about a guy in Manhattan asking a taxi driver for directions:
“Hey Bud … how do you get to Carnegie Hall?”
“Practice, practice, practice,” came the sage, wisecrack reply.
True that! To truly master something, anything, you must practice a lot.
Practice must become a habit.
Hab · it
noun
1) a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
How do you form a habit?
Well, often your previous attitude, behavior, choice, or decision (ABCD) to a given circumstance informs your next ABCD when a similar circumstance arises. You acted one way in the past, making it easier to act the same way in the future. ABCDs tend to build on and reinforce each other.
Over time, you create Habits through this repetitive, learned process of reinforcement.
Habits can be positive or negative:
- Reflexive, impulsive attitudes and ways of viewing life,
- Repeated patterns of behavior that help or hinder you,
- Intentional choices you make or things you just slip into doing,
- Knee-jerk decisions in the form of triggered reactions or more thoughtfully considered responses.
Your Extraordinary Why…
Brett Pyle took the 4 needs of humanity and broke them down in his book, “Your Extraordinary Why!” He believes in feeding all 4 to really define your legacy…your WHY! If one suffers, find a way to feed it and your life will start to take on more meaning.
Thoughts from Christian Author and Speaker, Andrew Womack
I just returned from an overseas flight where Jamie and I were upgraded to business class. The seats made out into a flat bed. It was wonderful. It really reduces jet lag. As I was drifting off to sleep, I thought about John Wesley who traversed the Atlantic in the hold of a ship. It took him a couple of months one way, and the conditions were terrible. My flight from London to Denver took nine hours, and I had luxuries he couldn’t have imagined.
Knowledge is Power
All of this is possible because of knowledge. Man hasn’t created anything new; he’s just discovered the laws that the Lord established from the beginning. “Bird brains” have been flying from the start. The same is true with communications, electricity, computing, and a host of other modern breakthroughs. Man is just discovering the laws God created.
Today
Although mankind has made huge discoveries that have totally changed the way we live, it seems like we know less about ourselves than previous generations. While our ancestors didn’t have all the modern conveniences, they had a peace and strength that eludes most today. As our knowledge of our natural world has increased, our knowledge of spiritual things has decreased. In man’s arrogance, he blindly believes all of life’s problems can be solved by himself. But there can be no peace without if there isn’t peace within.
So Much Out There
There is a whole universe that man in all his wisdom is ignorant of. That is the world of the spirit. And I’m not just talking about the spiritual realm outside of us but also the spiritual being inside of every person. We aren’t evolved animals; we were created in God’s image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). We are spirit beings. The ultimate way to control bad behavior isn’t by more laws, metal detectors, or social engineering; it’s changing the hearts of people, one at a time.
The Point Is…
No matter what you believe, people from every aspect can agree on this one thing…Mind, Body, Soul and Spirit. They must be respected and treated equally to live a full life. If you have no idea where to start, all you have to do is ask yourself. The 4 parts are easily broken down like this:
Mind-Capabilities
Body-Health, Wellness
Soul- Thoughts, Feelings, Emotions
Spirit- Your Integrity or Conscience
How in tune are you with each catatgory?
Elite’s Take…
If you have no idea how to answer where you fall in this whole thing, maybe start with 4 key ingredients!
4 Products
Mind- Glutathione
A master antioxidant found in every cell of human body. Glutathione is unique because body can synthesize it in liver from amino acids.
Glutathione has many important functions, including:
- making DNA, the building blocks of proteins and cells
- supporting immune function
- forming sperm cells
- breaking down some free radicals
- helping certain enzymes function
- regenerating vitamins C and E
- transporting mercury out of the brain
- helping the liver and gallbladder deal with fats
- participates in detoxification reactions
- assisting in natural cell death (a process known as apoptosis)
Body- Thermogenic
Elite Thermogenic is made up of key ingredients that fire your metabolism up in incredible ways. Results are a definite!
Soul- Oxytocin
Known as the feel good or cuddle drug, Oxytocin can help soothe your soul and ease your mind after a long day. Try it once and we promise you’ll be hooked!
Spirit- B-12
Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Methylcobalamin is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in many functions in the body, including:
- DNA synthesis
- Improves Energy levels and concentration
- Nerve cell health & neurological function
- Red Blood Cell formation
- Immune function
- Helps improve sleep patterns
- Prevents certain types of Hair loss
Tip of the Day…
Take a few minutes to reflect on the 4 parts of a full life. Once you draw a conclusion on where you stand in all 4, figure out ways to feed the ones that you are starving. We are all meant for great things, but most of us never reach our full potential. What’s the point in being here if we don’t leave our own positive mark? Cheers to Re-Discovery!!!
