August is National Wellness Month, and with it comes plenty of conversation about self-care, healthy habits, exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and making our well-being a priority.

These can all be valuable parts of wellness. But I think there is also an opportunity to look a little deeper.

What does being well actually mean to you?

For one person, wellness might mean having enough energy to enjoy their day. For another, it might mean being able to move with less discomfort, recover from an injury, sleep more comfortably, manage the effects of stress, or continue participating in activities that matter to them. For someone else, wellness may simply mean feeling a little more connected to their body again.

There isn’t one correct version of wellness.

Wellness Is More Than the Absence of Pain

It can be tempting to think about health only when something hurts or stops working the way we expect it to.

Our bodies, however, are continually adapting to the demands placed upon them. Work, repetitive movement, physical activity, previous injuries, sleep, stress, recovery, daily habits and many other factors can influence how we feel from one day to another.

That is one reason I value a whole-person approach to care.

Rather than viewing the body as a collection of separate parts, we can become curious about the relationships between them. Where are you moving comfortably? Where are you compensating? What feels restricted? What has changed recently? What demands are being placed on your body, and are you getting opportunities to recover from them?

Sometimes the place where we experience discomfort is only one part of a much larger picture.

Listening Before Pushing

Our culture often approaches wellness through the language of improvement:

• Do more.
• Exercise more.
• Stretch more.
• Become stronger.
• Be more productive.
• Develop better habits.

There can certainly be value in building strength, mobility and healthy routines. But wellness can also involve learning when not to push. It may mean recognizing fatigue before reaching exhaustion. Allowing recovery after periods of increased activity. Becoming aware of habitual tension. Changing how we move rather than simply asking our bodies to tolerate more.

One of the most useful skills we can develop is the ability to notice what is happening within ourselves before automatically reacting to it. That awareness can become a starting point for more individualized choices.

Different Approaches for Different Needs

This is also why the same wellness strategy will not necessarily be appropriate for everyone.

In my practice, massage therapy and yoga therapy offer different ways of exploring the body and supporting individual goals. Massage therapy may provide an opportunity to address muscular tension, discomfort and physical recovery through hands-on care. Yoga therapy uses individualized movement, breathing practices, awareness and other therapeutic yoga tools according to the needs and goals of the person—not according to how a yoga pose is “supposed” to look.

These approaches are different, but they share something important:

The starting point is the individual.
Not the perfect posture.
Not the perfect yoga practice.
Not someone else’s wellness routine.
You.

Small Things Still Count

Wellness does not have to begin with a dramatic transformation. Sometimes it looks like taking five minutes to move after sitting at your desk. Sometimes it is going to bed earlier. Sometimes it is recognizing that your shoulders have been sitting somewhere near your ears all afternoon and allowing them to soften. It might mean taking a walk, making an appointment you have been postponing, asking for help, returning to an activity you enjoy, or deciding that today your body needs recovery rather than another workout.

The question I often come back to is simple:

What would feel supportive today?
Not what should you be doing.
Not what everyone else seems to be doing.
What do you notice, and what might support you from where you are right now?

An Invitation for National Wellness Month

This National Wellness Month, perhaps the invitation isn’t to add another wellness task to your list. Instead, take a little time to become curious. Notice how you feel when you wake up. Notice where you hold tension during your day. Notice which movements feel good and which feel difficult. Notice what leaves you feeling depleted and what helps you feel restored. And perhaps most importantly, give yourself permission to let your definition of wellness change.

Your body changes. Your circumstances change. Your needs change.

Your approach to caring for yourself can change with them.

August National Wellness Month Offer

Throughout August, I am offering 15% off Massage Therapy and Yoga Therapy sessions in celebration of National Wellness Month.

If you have been putting off taking some time for yourself, are experiencing persistent tension or discomfort, or are curious about exploring a more individualized approach to movement and wellness, this month may be a good opportunity to begin.

I am also currently accepting clients for student Manual Osteopathic Treatment appointments. Please inquire if you would like to learn more.

Your wellness journey doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It simply needs to begin where you are.

Your Discovery and Journey

Yoga Therapy • Massage Therapy • Student Manual Osteopathic Treatment