Living a life of balance is a beautiful thing, there is lyrical pattern to it all. As in nature, like the rolling waves, the ebbs and flows of our lives should replicate this sense of ease and serendipitous timing. Allowing and being, instead of forcing and doing, taps into a much greater Divine matrix and there in lies the manifestation of miracles. So let’s find that balance between work and play, discipline as well as fun joyful moments, eating mindfully and clean and moments of celebratory bubbles and scrumptious dessert. The most important thing for maintaining our health, the thing that lifts our spirits, calms our mind, and has undeniable physical benefits, is exercise.
There was a time when I first started on this wellness journey where I became a little obsessive, especially when raising two young children and I was intent on providing them with the healthiest environment possible. Every cleaning product in our house was non toxic and biodegradable, which was not a common thing in the eighties and early nineties. All food as organic and green as possible, with hidden grated vegetables to add as much nutritional supplements to all their food. Coke or other soft drinks were completely forbidden, and it was a trip back to my homeland South Africa where my son, then about 7 or 8 discovered there was such a thing as BBQ’d spare ribs, which he’d been deprived of his entire young life. I also later discovered hidden vitamins under couches by cheeky toddlers who could outsmart me every step of the way.
Eventually I realized I was becoming a bit too obsessed with this quest for health for our family and that life includes some unhealthy realities which are difficult to avoid. This neurosis of mine was not good for my health. Stress being the Number 1 cause of any disease, it finally dawned on me, life is about balance. As long as I was feeding my family nutritious clean food 80% of the time, I had to let the rest go. Epigeneticists have given us break downs of the influences and cause of disease. Obviously genetics plays a huge role, although I love all the research by neuroscientists eg Dr Joe Dispenza who has pointed out and proven that it is not the actual gene that carries the DNA coding but the expression of the gene which will effect the consequence or outcome. This to me is so exciting, that we have an ability to augment change through Meditation and Theta Healing.
So let’s talk about balance in fitness movement. I was pondering why people do get a little obsessive about one particular exercise style or movement, be it yoga, Pilates or bodybuilding, marathon running or long distance cycling. As always the media has a huge influence as we are inundated with the latest new miracle workout or nutritional craze. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. We all find our groove and we should definitely gravitate towards which style of movement fills your soul more, or provides you with the most benefits, physically, mentally or emotionally.
I came to realize that I enjoy every style of movement and see the benefits of all, and there has been a deliberate intention, when designing my classes and schedule, that we maximise this variety. The focus and mindfulness of Pilates providing much needed core strength and spine health, improving back pain, sports performance, daily function and longevity. Yoga, allowing the mind to settle and anything from gentle into more intense improves flexibility, circulation, balance and consequently reducing any injuries and stress levels.
The thing that excites me the most is resistance training which is now proving to be even more beneficial than we once thought. Dr Gabrielle Lyon shows and discovered lifting weights releases myokines which in turn improves bone health, brain health and nutritional utilization. “In essence, building muscle creates something like body armour that protects you in all domains of health”.
Longevity is the top of mind for so many of us, movement mobility, strength and safeguarding against falls and fractures. The absolute best thing, at the heart of this all is our capacity to build and sustain lean muscle. Maintaining skeletal muscle is critical for preserving our lifespan, shifting body composition and therefore our metabolic rate and managing weight.
We can defy the aging process and take action, at Singita Wellness we love to guide you through your wellness journey in a soul fulfilling and fun way!
So this holiday season we should have some fun, but also find our balance by committing to regular exercise, at Singita Wellness we offer it all. Don’t forget to book your spot this time of year, and there is always space on Zoom, so join our online club for as little as $35 per month, with live streamed classes 6 days per week and 100 on demand on the website.
Click here to read a description of some of our classes which are combined and balanced to offer a variety of modalities.