Is Your Leaf Green? (Are You Healthy?)

Categories: Blog Aug 16, 2015

 

There are three things we have to have in order to be healthy: Air, food, and water. Together, air, food and water give us life. It is air that feeds us oxygen which keeps all our cells alive. It is food that feeds us nutrients which keeps all our cells alive. It is water that keeps us hydrated, which keeps all our cells alive. Without these three things, we are toast, dried up, our leaf is withered.

It would make sense then, in order to optimize our health and keep our leaf green, that we should strive to have clean air, nutritious food, and pure water as each of these keep all our cells alive. The purer the air and water, the more nutrient dense the food, the better our health can be.

Right?

Maybe, but more importantly, maybe not.

As essential as air, water and food are, our bodies still need one thing that may be just as essential: movement. Our movement and the movement of others around us also brings nourishment to our bodies. In fact, the movements we make and the movements we receive can nourish our brains just like the nutrients from food does. Without movement, without information generated from movement that feeds the brain, the brain will become malnourished and starve. If the brain begins to starve and deteriorate, the body will also lose its resiliency and it, too, will break down.

Think of the wonder. Just as air, water and food ultimately end up supplying nourishment to each cell in your body, so does movement. When you move, AND when you receive movement, you even effect your cells' DNA and their genetic expressions. Our thoughts and choices, the movements of our minds, and our physical movements even play a role in how our genes express themselves.

The movement of others around us also feeds our brains and bodies. What I mean by this is that we are made for relationship. Man and woman were never meant to live in solitary confinement. That is a form of torture that has been used on prisoners. It can lead them into insanity. Even simple movements such as a raised eyebrow of acknowledgement, a smile of affirmation, a rub on the back, a high five, etc... All of these are movements that feed the souls of another. Without receiving these relational movements, gestures, and affections, the brain starves, and the body weakens. By the way, none of these acts of acknowledgment or affection can ever be replaced by emoticons on facebook. That is a deception that threatens to weaken us all.

We all need air, water, food and movement (movement in thought as well as in action, and movements made as well as received). These things were made for us, to sustain us, to keep us strong and vibrant.

Your leaf was meant to be green; you were made to flourish with life. Breathe with your diaphragm with every breath, drink lots of water, eat nutritious foods, and move every day.

Move: Move your mind with good thoughts. Move your body with good movements. And relate (interact in person) with someone every day. This nourishes you and others around you.

If your leaf is green, the leaves of those around you will also become green. Be green.

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