Quiet Time: A Pillar of Health

This week’s post is a follow up from last week’s blog entry, titled The Four Pillars of Health. Today, I share the second pillar of health: quiet time. To me, quite time means meditation, rest and proper sleep.

Do you take precious time out of your day to find a quiet space within yourself? Connecting with that quiet space bestows upon me a sense of wellbeing, groundedness and peace. My life feels more balanced. It’s my opinion the world needs more peaceful balance.

There’s no denying we all live in a fast paced world. A fast paced world where most of us can be so disconnected from nature, our families and ourselves! Most of us are so stressed out we forgot what it’s like to feel at peace. Does this resonate with you?

And, it’s no secret stress causes dis-ease and can kill. To date, Americans spent approximately 368 billion dollars on prescription drugs to ease stress, anxiety and insomnia. These drugs have many harmful side effects. Could it be you are one of those statistics who spends your hard earned cash on prescription drugs? If so, I offer you contemplate going for a peaceful walk in nature or do some deep breathing at the ocean to de-stress. If nature walks or deep breathing isn’t your bag, heck, then schedule time for a nap. It can only help.

Are meditation and prayer aspects of your life? Meditation and prayer help ground busy minds, creating peace of mind. They are also great ways to connect to something bigger than us, a higher power.

In our society we tend to burn the candle at both ends never truly enjoying the benefits of peace, quiet and rest. As long as we’re constantly on the go and burning the candle at both ends, stuck to our computers and smart phones, we’ll never truly know what quiet time, peace and rest feel like. The body, mind and spirit functions best with down time to recover and rejuvenate.

Also, rest reinvigorates and heals the body! We all have busy daily schedules. Would you consider scheduling rest, medication and/or prayer into your life? If not, in my experience, your health will deteriorate.

Are you getting proper sleep based on the circadian sleep cycle? The circadian sleep cycle is based on nature’s natural rhythms … sunrise and sunset. Our bodies heal when we sleep. You should be getting proper sleep between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 a.m. the body heals physically. Between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. the body heals physiologically. Proper sleep is imperative for healing, health and wellness!

Perhaps you’ll consider taking some time out to rest, get proper sleep, mediate, pray, walk in nature and become peacefully grounded? Your mind, body and spirit will thank you.

Patricia Garza Pinto is a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach and CHEK Corrective Exercise Coach certified by San Diego’s Paul Chek—a holistic health practitioner, neuromuscular therapist and founder of the C.H.E.K (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology) Institute.  Patricia is also a second-degree Reiki Practitioner who has obtained additional personal training certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise.  Exemplifying  35 years of fitness and health experience, Patricia approaches wellness from many perspectives integrating them into a unified whole. Learn more by visiting TransforMotion.com where Patricia guides her clientele through their respective journeys of authentic self-discovery. (Visit the website or call 949-422-1168.)