Women Living Well: Mind/Body Connection - 2002
Student Papers
On Serendip

As a child, my parents made it a point to emphasize the importance of exercise in one's daily life. I remember that during exam periods, my father would always ask me whether I was doing some form of exercise, and would stress that it was a very important part of my life - especially during exam periods. But I, like most teenage children who lived away from home, did not feel the compulsion to take my parents' advice. I knew the physical benefits of exercise, and wanted to be fit, but (especially during exams or periods of high stress) I felt that there were more important things to do with my time than exercising.

I am not usually the sort of person who would rather learn the hard way than take someone's advice, but in this case that is exactly what I did. I soon realized, however, that having a healthy body is a crucial factor in dealing with the various stresses that one faces in life, and in just generally being well. It was also not long before my definition of wellness changed significantly. I had always seen wellness as simply 'not being sick'. But being free from illness is only one element of wellness; ability to cope with stress, sufficient sleep, mental and emotional stability, healthy eating habits are among a large list of the other aspects of wellness which I had never considered before.

This seminar helped reinforce my new-found appreciation for the mind-body connection, as they are truly linked in the most fundamental of ways. One cannot achieve complete good health and wellness without being healthy both in mind and in body.


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