Feel Well. Be Well. Act Well Workshop Proves to Decrease Stress and Increase Wellness

I recently completed my certified life coaching course which was a truly insightful and educational experience.  To complete my course I conducted a study on how meditation, yoga, and good nutrition combined with coaching effectively reduces individuals stress and increases wellbeing.  Read about my findings below and sign up for the workshop!

Individuals experience an increase in satisfaction of mind, body, spirit, and overall wellbeing through engaging in mind-­body practices. A benefit of connecting the physical body and the cognitive mind is the ability to release the anxiety of past events and manage concerns about the future, bringing ease to the present moment. This is characterized by a greater sense of calm, a decrease in stress, clarity, and promotion of positive self esteem.

The goal of the “Feel Well. Be Well. Act Well Workshop” is to provide you with tools that can help you center yourself into the present, by bringing awareness to the powerful connection of your mind, body and spirit. This can ultimately provide a greater sense of wellbeing, by teaching you to respond rather than react to stressors in your life, which can result in a lowering of psychic stress.

Mind-­Body Medicine includes practices such as yoga, meditation, breathing, massage, acupuncture, chi­‐quong, bio-­feedback, hypnotism, and holistic nutrition. Many “holistic” methodologies over promise on the delivery of health benefits, as they have not been thoroughly researched or proved to deliver on such claims.

For the purpose of the “Feel Well. Be Well. Act Well Workshop” participants are educated on only those Mind-­Body practices that have been adequately researched: yoga, meditation and nutrition focused on unprocessed, wholesome foods. The benefits of yoga, meditation and nutrition have all been shown to support mindfulness, promote feelings of happiness, lower risk of disease, and are effective in decreasing stress hormones. Research from the Shamatha Project suggests that, “focusing on the present rather than letting the mind drift may help to lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”1

The workshop is divided into two segments; Mind‐Body education and coaching. Following the educational portion of the workshop, you will take part in a guided meditation in order to begin to connect with the deeper part of yourself, also referred to as your “inner knowing.” Meditation gives you the ability to let go of distressing self talk, and opens you up to the ability to set goals that are in line with your beliefs, values, and true self, rather than that of your ego‐driven fears. A study on meditation at the University of California, Davis reports, “training the mind to focus on immediate experience may reduce the propensity to ruminate about the past or worry about the future, thought processes that have been linked to cortisol release.”1 The decrease in stress and anchoring into your inner knowing creates the ideal environment in the mind to set goals and intentions that reflect your truth.

The coaching segment provides an opportunity to articulate the areas of your life where you want to increase satisfaction (topics can range from relationship, body image, financials, etc.) and create a defined action plan to attain that goal.

Participants in the workshop reported that by engaging in yoga and meditation they were able to engage in more positive self talk, which improved their ability to follow through on action plans and ultimately attaining their goals of reaching increased wellbeing, a greater sense of calm, and a feeling of being more deeply connected to their inner voice. Being connected to one’s inner voice is central to creating fulfillment and internal satisfaction rather than living a surface existence to please others or to be perceived in a certain way.

There is a measurable reduction in stress after participating in the “Feel Well. Be Well. Act Well Workshop.” In one survey, participants were asked to rate their levels of stress (0=no stress, 10=high stress) at three time-­‐points: prior to the workshop, immediately following the workshop, and a week later. Immediately following the workshop, stress decreased on average by 37% (p=0.009). In the week following the workshop, participants reported on average a further 6% decrease in stress (p=0.041), and a slight improvement in increasing feelings of wellbeing. Furthermore, participants anticipated that by continuing to incorporate mindful practice into their daily lives, levels of satisfaction, ability to accomplish goals, and general happiness would continue to rise.

The “Feel Well. Be Well. Act Well Workshop” is an effective tool in initiating a positive shift in perception of your interaction with the world. Individuals experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety report a measurable reduction of stress which indicates they are minimizing identification with their ego-­based fears. Through guided coaching and Mind-Body practices, you are able to connect with your true identity, desires, beliefs and values without the chatter of self‐criticism and judgment. The result is increased wellbeing by improving your ability to listen to your intuition, and live life in a way that is meaningful to you. Re-framing and reshaping your life takes time, commitment, forgiveness and a new self dialogue. Studies on meditation, yoga and good nutrition indicate that with commitment and mindful intention, you can retrain your mind body and spirit to shape the life you desire.

This workshop is offered once a month. Space is limited.  Email info@relishlifela.com for details.