Get Healthier By Adding A Wellness Practice Each Day

When it comes to getting healthier, you may not know where to begin. 

There is so much information out there & so many recommendations.
 
While there have been a lot fads that have come and gone, the basics of good health are pretty consistent – relax, breathe, stretch, eat lots of veggies, get a good night’s sleep & practice gratitude. 
 
One of the best ways to get healthier is to add time each day for one wellness practice.
 
You can do that!

Here are my recommendations based on the amount of time you have each day -- 1 minute, 5 minutes or 10 minutes.  My next blog will include

All of these recommendations are simple & can be added immediately.  No special equipment needed. 

I’m sure many of you are already practicing some if not all of these habits.  If this is you, bring a little more consciousness and attention to whatever habit you are doing.
 
Super important is that you can’t do this wrong.  I urge you not to get bogged down in the details.  As long as you are listening to your body, life style changes are not dangerous.
 
Showing up consistently is what leads to change over time. As my friend Gena says, “practice makes permanent.”   

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If you have 1 minute a day:

 This is super simple & only takes 1 minute a day.  Best of all, you can do this right now.
 
Step away from your computer for a moment or at least stop looking at it.  Then, simply stop and breathe.  Put your hands on your ribcage and take a deep breath, allowing the ribcage to expand. Hold this breath for the count of 4.  Slowly exhale.  Repeat for 1 minute.
 
This article explains what happens in the brain & body when we breathe slowly and consciously. 
 https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/01/01/breathwork-slow-breathing-calm-mind/
 
Notice what happens as you practice this.  Of course you can consciously breathe for two, three, five or more minutes; but I think just 1 minute a day, every day, can begin to shift your health.

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If you have 5 minutes a day:

​ Try an emotion balancing meditation that you can do in just under 5 minutes. 
 
It’s a meditation that connects body, mind & spirit. 

Acupuncture incorporates physical, emotional & spiritual well-being into its practice.  It does this through the model of the 5 elements.  These include water, wood, fire, earth and metal.  Each of these elements has a corresponding organ, color, body tissue, taste, season, climate  and emotion.
 
Here are the correspondences:
Water – kidneys, blue, bones, salty, winter, cold, fear/wisdom
Wood – liver, green, tendons, sour, springtime, wind, anger/kindness
Fire – heart, red, blood vessels, bitter, summer, heat, over-excitement/peace & calm
Earth – spleen/pancreas, orange/yellow, muscles, sweet, late-summer, dampness, overthinking/trust
Metal – lungs, white, skin, pungent/spicy, autumn, dryness, grief/integrity
 
See if these resonate with your experience.  Do the correspondences feel right to you?
 
Do you feel that body, mind and spirit exist together? 
 
In Traditional Chinese Medicine there is no separation between our organs, our thoughts and our dreams.  The correspondences describe the relationship between the physical and the emotional and the spiritual.
 
As an acupuncturist, I use these correspondences to diagnose and treat illness.  When I treat folks for various health issues, I look to bring balance between and within the five elements/organs.  I strive to create balance within the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of each organ.
 
Creating balance is something that you can do on your own.  Let this meditation be a guide.  It’s a quick way for you to integrate the different aspects of your being. 

It can give you more of an appreciation for the ways that body, mind and spirit are present in each of us.
 
It can allow you to relax and live in more harmony with nature.
 
Take a listen:
www.bonniediamond.com/meditation
 
If this meditation resonates with you, set aside time to listen to it every day.
 
Notice any changes you experience.
 
Remember, you can make change in just 5 minutes a day.

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If you have 10 minutes a day:

Gentle stretching is one of my absolute favorite recommendations.

It's so simple, takes only 10 minutes each day AND the results are FABULOUS!

Exercise programs often focus on building muscle.  This is important.  Stronger muscles will help your body be leaner and more fit, making it easier to lift a child, bring in groceries, go out for a walk or do work in the garden.

When you strengthen your muscles, the focus is on muscle contraction. Sadly, if your muscle stays contracted after it has completed its work of lifting, pushing a heavy object or moving a limb, the result is pain.
 
Your muscles need to relax and often exercise programs leave this step out or go over it briefly.

Many people skimp on stretching until they find themselves in pain.  Often it’s an injury that reminds you that you need to take care of your body.  If you find yourself in this situation, you need to stretch, being careful not to cause additional harm.
 
The following are stretches that I often recommend when patients complain of muscular pain.  You can do these safely as long as you move only as far as your body allows.

If you are in severe pain or have very limited mobility, imagine yourself moving in a way that you would like.  This reinforces the loop between the nervous system & the musculoskeletal system.  Athletes often use this technique.  
 
When doing these stretches, my advice is to slow down, do less and only move to the point where you feel a stretch.  Don’t push beyond this point.  Over time you will notice that you can move further easily – but this does take time.  So it's important to try these on a regular basis.
 

1. Spine Stretch
   1. Sit on a chair with your feet touching the floor, your knees hip-width apart so that your knee forms a right angle with the floor.
   2. Bring your hands inside your knees with the back of your hands touching your knees. Your hands should be facing each other.
   3. Take a deep breath in.
   4. On your exhalation, starting from your head, roll your spine down one vertebra at a time.
   5. Allow your arms to dangle and move downward with the movement of your spine.
   6. Continue as far as is comfortable.
   7. Now take another breath in and starting from your abdominal core come back up one vertebra at a time.
2. Side Stretch
   1. Stay seated in your chair facing forward, knees hip-width apart at right angles to the floor.
   2. Take a deep breath in.
   3. As you exhale slowly turn to your right.  The movement comes from your waist with your head an arms staying in alignment.  No need to do an extra stretch with your head or arms.
   4. Go only as far as is comfortable and stay in this position for 5 inhales and exhales.
   5. Take a final deep breath in and move back to center on the exhalation.
   6. Repeat steps a-e turning to your left.
3. Foot flex
   1. Stay seated in your chair, facing forward, knees hip-width apart at right angles to the floor.
   2. Extend your right leg so that it is straight and a few inches above the floor.
   3. Take a deep breath in and slowly point your toes.
   4. On your exhalation, slowing flex your toes.
   5. Do this 15 times.
   6. Repeat with your left leg.

 
How did you find doing these stretches?  If you felt discomfort, it means that you were pushing too hard.  Simply pull back a little. 
For example, if it’s difficult to lift your leg to do the foot flex, do this lying down on the floor or in bed when you wake up.
 
Listen to what your body is telling you.
 
You may be afraid to exercise after you have been injured.  It’s true that overdoing things can lead to additional injury, but our muscles and bones are designed for movement. 
 
You absolutely can start slow & build strength and flexibility gradually.  And if you're pain-free now, remember that the best way to prevent pain is to treat it before it happens, which is why I recommend gentle stretches for everyone.
 
Try a gentle stretching routine and let me know how it goes!
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