Ten Big Questions on Health and Self-Love for the New Year

January 01, 2021

Health isn't just the absence of disease, but the presence of full vitality in the body and mind.

Imagine everyone in full health and vitality! What a world that would be. Real health change comes when we want to genuinely feel great, for ourselves, not for someone else. We don't do it to look good (although our radiance will certainly be attractive) or to appear sexy (although full vitality is completely sexy) but to be strong enough to explore, energized enough to serve, supple enough to withstand injury, to bend and not break.

The most sustainable shifts in our health patterns comes from within, from deep self-respect and self-love.

No-one can move your body for us decide what goes between our hand and mouth, what we put on our skin and hair, or the media we ingest through our eyes and ears.

And possibly most important for many women, juggling work, home and providing care, no-one can make the time for us to do this. We have to claim this time for ourselves on a daily basis, and lean into friends with similar goals.

Here are ten writing prompts to get in touch with real health and vitality, and set the stage for a vision and a plan for the upcoming year.

1. How do you feel about your overall health right now? How do you feel in your body & mind?

2. What does perfect health and pleasure look like to me?

Be as detailed as possible - use your wildest imagination! You don't have to make it "realistic", we are stretching our possibility mindset!

3. How is my self-love, self-respect, self-care?

Are there any places where I am not in loving relationship with my body and mind, where I hide from myself or others? Is this the year to clear these? Write what comes up.

4. How is my overall vitality?

How is my energy level? Desire? Sleep? Immune System? Am I satisfied with my overall prana, chi or life force?

5. Am I satisfied with my body’s structural capacity right now?

Consider functional strength, flexibility, alignment or carriage, joint mobility, propulsive power, endurance, agility. Also consider any areas of pain, impingement or limitation that might benefit from some love and care this year? 6. Also on physical level: What physical expressions do I want to continue, or what new activities do I want to try? How much space do I want to make for movement and physical play in my life this year?

8. Can I fine tune my inputs to feel better?

Consider: Does the food I ingest nourish me in the way I want? Am I basically sober (not leaning into drugs or alcohol to get through a normal day)? Do the household products and personal care products I use support my body’s functioning or add to my toxin load? Do I need any supplements or herbs to keep my biome, digestive system and endocrine system in balance? Is there anything I want to learn, get support on or change in my inputs this year?

9. How’s my Mental Wellness?

Some things to consider in this area: Am I generally waking up content or excited to start the day? Am I in tune with my needs, wants and desires? How firm is my yes, how firm is my no? Am I mostly present to what’s arising in myself? Can I respond to the world from this moment, and not from my trauma or wounding? Are there any traumas or wounds it would be helpful to clear? Am I able to come back to equanimity after a challenging situation? Can I focus and calm my mind and nervous system? Are there any areas in my mental wellness that I’d like to address this year?

10. Sit quietly and ask yourself this question: How do I want to feel in my body mind?

Imagine the desired state as vividly as possible. How much joy and ease there is in this state. The things you might do with this feeling. How your experience of life might be different. Write these answers down, or collage, or draw a picture that expresses this, to anchor this feeling so you can refer to it later.