Homeostasis is just a bit of Balance

I am going to throw a word at you today: Homeostasis. Heard it? Yes. Do you actually know what it is? Kinda. Well, it’s an important one. Homeostasis is the state of steady physical and chemical internal balance. It describes any self-regulating process in which biological systems (such as our good selves) maintain stability while adjusting to conditions that are optimal for survival. If it is successful, we get to carry on living; if not, disaster ensues.

Ok, now cell science is a bit obscure and possibly daunting, but as long as you remember that balance is the key to everything and that your lifestyle choices will impact your cellular activity, then you already on the right path to health and wellbeing.

Despite what many a coach with a ‘sure-fire path to wellbeing’ is telling you, there cannot be a one-cure-fits-all balancing method because our external conditions are A) different, and B) continuously change.

Would you believe me when I say the rise in chronic illnesses such as asthma, obesity and diabetes are very often symptoms of a life lived in ignorance?
Shock horror, I dared to say it, and I’ll repeat it again: ignorance. Because ignorance comes from ignoring. We know what we should do, but we chose not to act upon it.

Because everyone is doing it, we give ourselves collective permission to make the wrong choices and call it normal. Healthy people are ‘abnormal’ ‘health nuts’ ‘ crazy’. Over 95% of all people have had health problems within the last 5 years of their lives!*
Let that sink in. Can you imagine 95% of all cats being ill? They’d very quickly go out of favour. We have huge buildings just for the sick, and we accept that they keep coming back. If you have a heart attack, you’ll get a stent and the advice to cut short on the mayo. Then you’ll get another stent, and eventually a bypass. Why this happens when there are visionaries such as the cardiologist Dean Ormish, who has proven beyond a doubt that heart conditions are reversible? Yes, ignoring it, again.

The start to a healthy life can be overwhelming, especially when you have spent most of your life in blissful Ignoranzia.

Fret not. I am the queen of bite-size wellness, and there are some relatively uniform practices that we can start out with. My mantra, movement, aromatherapy, diet, mindfulness, is much easier than you may think.

1) Movement. Get yourself a yoga practice going. Yes, it really is the most important step to your new life. In my (educated) opinion yoga is the most extraordinary science that mankind has ever discovered; its methods cover all of our existence, from the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realm.
To simply start moving and breathing with intention, regularly, does not only bring balance to your physical form but almost unnoticed it changes your mental health too.

You can regularly find me on Instagram or Facebook life with little 5-minute yoga snippets, but if you miss them, you can always check out my online course on bite-size chair yoga practices for every occasion, from lunch break to bedtime practice. Short and regularly is much better than long and once a month.

2) Aromatherapy. Two oils that you can easily incorporate into your daily well-being are Frankincense and Lavender.

A) Frankincense. An ancient treasure, with an earthy and sweet scent, take a guess how to use this oil: The Boswellia tree produces a resin when cut - it uses it to heal itself. Frankincense is distilled from said resin (watch a video about it here) and is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Frankincense plays an essential part in keeping me in perfect balance. It affects emotional health, the immune system, nervous system and skin.

Apply 1 drop daily at the bottom of your feet, and diffuse (blend with any other oils you like, Frankincense is an enhancer).

B) Lavender. Distilled from the flowering tops of the lavender plant, it has a wide variety of chemical constituents, which explains its myriad of different uses. The plant produces the oil to protect itself from its enemies (insects) but also needs to attract bees to ensure its continuing existence. Lavender affects almost all of the body systems: cardiovascular, nervous, emotional, skin, you name it. In times of stress, place a drop on your temples or pulse points, and diffuse before bedtime.

Both oils are allrounders: they can be added to your regular skincare routine, and both enhance other oils.. The simplest method is to close your eyes, take a few deep breaths straight from the bottle (or both of them), and you’re good to go.

3) Diet. I am not here to tell you what to eat — you already know. But here’s the big reveal: if you start practicing yoga and use the oils daily, the rest will follow. Just trust the process. You’ll feel more energised to start cooking a meal from scratch. You'll start craving different foods. As long as you don’t give up when things are actually shifting, you will start changing. More to follow on this part.

4) Mindfulness. Surprise, you’ve already started! With moving mindfully in your daily yoga practice and closing your eyes while inhaling from the bottle, you have started a super short mindfulness practice.

There is a Chinese proverb: A healthy person has a thousand wishes, a sick person only one.
You too should live your most radiant and natural life — what are you waiting for? After all, homeostasis is just a bit of balance.

*[footnote: source: Science Daily][A1]

Like what you read? Want to hear more? If you are not on the list yet, sign up to stay in the know.