Awaken Your Sensory Awareness for Better Mental Health

You likely have a basic understanding of how diet and movement habits impact mental health. However, you may be less familiar with the concept of awakening, even though it is equally crucial to wellbeing. So what do we mean by "awakening?" In this article, we'll focus on helping you develop an enhanced awareness of how it feels to breathe calmly and fully and be fully present in your body.

Awakening practices can sharpen your senses, promote mindfulness, and help you listen to your inner voice. Essentially, "awakening" means coming alive--not just going through the motions of healthy habits, but truly being present in them. In other words, while the Nourish and Move foundational practices are about doing, the Awaken practices are about being.

Breath and Body Awareness Practice

The Resilient Breath and Body Awareness Practice [see video above for a guided practice] is a valuable tool to help you feel more comfort in your body, settle down your mind, and awaken your being. 

Bonus: Add Aromatherapy to Your Body Awareness Practice

Aromatherapy is an underutilized tool for creating better mental health naturally. It's fast-acting, safe, and surprisingly effective. Maybe that’s because there is such a short distance from nose to brain, with easy access to neural circuits that are over-activated when we become anxious.

The therapeutic use of plant-derived, aromatic essential oils to promote physical and psychological wellbeing is called Clinical Aromatherapy. It is sometimes used in combination with other holistic approaches (such as massage, mental imagery, breathwork, yoga) as part of a holistic treatment approach.

Aromatherapy, like other integrative therapies, can enhance the inborn, natural healing processes of the body and mind. Consider using blends that may address specific symptoms, using naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize, and promote the health of body, mind, and heart. 

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