9 Laws Of Wellness

I am a true believer in the 9 laws of wellness and I feel that if these are in sync with each other, we are completely balanced. It takes small, committed steps to establish that balance. Let’s aim to understand the 9 elements that rule our wellbeing.

1. Air 

Breathing properly is not only important for living longer but also to have a good mood and keep performing at our best. Our body is designed to release 70 per cent of its toxins through breathing. Breathing releases tension and relaxes the mind/body and brings clarity, it also helps in dealing with anxiety.

How to breathe properly 

To breathe properly we need to breathe deeply into our abdomen, not just our chest. Breathing exercises should be deep, slow, rhythmic, and through the nose, not through the mouth. 

• Inhale through the nose, expanding your belly, then fill your chest. Counting to 5.

• Hold and Count to 3.

• Exhale fully from the slightly parted mouth and feel all your cells releasing waste and emptying all old energy. Counting to 5.

Besides, many well-established Pranayam exercises should be mastered for the greater benefit of your health. You must also try Naadi Shodhan which is also similar to Anulom Vilom.

2. Water

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. The body is composed of about 60 per cent water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of the body’s temperature. 

Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. 

Having adequate water throughout the day is extremely important

• Our body requires between 2.5 to 4 litres of water every day depending on the body weight. 

• Our body absorbs about 120 ml of water in 30 minutes. It is advised to drink in intervals

• Our body loses about 2 litres of water during our sleep, so starting the mornings with at least 2 glasses of water is a healthy practice. 

The habit of drinking a glass of water every 30-45 minutes can provide us innumerable health benefits

3. Sunlight

One of the most important factors for healthier living is getting adequate sunlight.

Sun exposure improves bone health, lowers blood pressure, improves brain function, eases mild depression, improves sleep quality, lessens the risk of diabetes, boosts growth in children, enhances the immune system, and also helps in reducing the risk of certain cancers.

Expose yourself to sunshine

Sunshine does have its numerous benefits, but it is still a cause of skin cancer:

• Experts recommend 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight daily for a healthy adult 

• Beyond that, apply sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 

4. Rest

Rest is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for all ages. It rejuvenates our body and mind. On the other hand, not getting enough rest can negatively affect all parameters of our health.

Good relaxing sleep contributes immensely to our wellness. Ensure a minimum of 7 hours of quality sleep every day.

5. Exercise

Exercise the body and mind

Our body is a marvelous machine requiring regular physical and mental activity – if left unattended it can cause humongous challenges for us!

• Walking & Aerobics – This simple, yet powerful practice helps us to stay trim, improve cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, keep blood pressure in check, lift our mood and lower our risk for several diseases.

• Swimming - One might call swimming the perfect workout. It helps build endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness.

• Strength training - Helps preserve brain function in the later years of our lives. 

• Kegel exercises - Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder. 

• Yoga & Tai chi - Rejuvenates our body & mind providing much-needed flexibility.

• Mindfulness & Meditation – Helps in elevating our emotional & physical wellness.

6. Nutrition

“You are what you eat”

Good health starts with a good diet. Certain foods contain high amounts of beneficial substances - antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and beta-carotene that can help eliminate toxins, boost the immune system and help protect against a variety of diseases.

Daily food choices make a big difference - Plan your meals to include nutrient-dense foods that are also low in calories.

Choose a variety of fruits, unrefined grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts.

Don’t eat too late at night and between meals - allow 4-5 hours between meals and eat at regular times. 

Minimize salt/sodium intake as salty foods lead to high blood pressure and poor heart health. A Plant-based diet - More and more researchers, physicians and nutritionists are beginning to echo the same “Go plant-based!”. It assures the most antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals with the least number of calories. Those brightly colored plant pigments have the bonus of providing health-giving phytonutrients! 

High-quality protein can be obtained from many plant-based sources other than controversial meat. 

Carbohydrates contain the energy for everyday optimum work performance. High carb foods are energy foods derived from complex carbohydrates – “good carbs”, which are the best! 

Good sources of fat like pure ghee, unrefined natural oils, avocado, olives, seeds, and nuts contain essential fats which are essential for good health. 

Eating a fiber-rich diet is like giving scrub action in our body to keep the digestive system clean and functioning well. Also decreases the risk of many forms of cancer and heart attacks.

Be Smart to choose a good diet for a healthy living

7. Temperance

Temperance – The Commitment & Discipline Factor

The Impact of Temperance – ‘Commitment’ that we make to ourselves & others on our overall Wellness can just not be overemphasized. It’s worth doing a serious reflection on:

• Temperance includes all aspects of our lifestyle, whether drugs, alcohol, smoking, overeating, overworking, too much play, or too little or much of things in general. An unbalanced life robs a person of a rich, healthy and satisfying life

• A balanced life is an extremely important ingredient of a healthy life

Commitment to moderation and avoiding things that are harmful to create space for a healthy living could be one of the most crucial decisions that we can take for ourselves

8. Trust

Trust one Oneself & Others

The trust and faith factor is a powerful part of a healthy life. The placebo effect is a well-known phenomenon and is supported by numerous studies. It’s worth doing a serious reflection on:

• How trusting relationships heal our emotional wellbeing

• How people’s faith in doctors and drugs help them heal

• How much more powerful faith in God is to one’s physical and spiritual well-being. Research has shown that spirituality helps to control stress, strengthen the immune system, and protect against heart disease and cancer

• Trust & positive outlook of current & future enhances the possibility of things to happen

9. Healthy spaces

“First we shape our buildings - thereafter they shape us and our health” 

Our spaces are highly impacted by geo-stress and electromagnetic Radiation.

While Geo-stress is a type of negative energy emanating from the earth’s core, electromagnetic radiation is the harmful form of radio waves that are emitted by our wireless communication devices. Both are perceived to degrade our sleep pattern, heart health, brain health, immunity, and overall well being. It is important to recognize the following impact of these two forces:

• Experiencing tiredness, constant headache increased stress, and sleep deprivation 

• Lower productivity and immunity

• Never wake up feeling refreshed and have a poor sleep quality.

• Body aches with no stringent reason

• Developing illness or a health condition after moving into a new space 

• Lower concentration and sign of irritability in children

We don’t even realise that the above results could be because of an unhealthy space.

There are solutions available to reduce the impact of harmful radiation like radiation harmonizing Enviro Chips and Enviroglobe that help us protect ourselves from the impact of EMR present around us.

The author is Chief Mentor & Director, Syenergy Environics