A recent wellness retreat in Thailand provided a wake-up call about what a ‘holistic’ approach to health actually entails. I understood that being at your peak requires exercise, sleeping and eating well, but was unaware the extent that each component affects the others, and how challenging it can be when a part of the puzzle is missing.
“The part can never be well unless the whole is well”~ Plato
A recent wellness retreat in Thailand provided a wake-up call about what a ‘holistic’ approach to health actually entails. I understood that being at your peak requires exercise, sleeping and eating well, but was unaware the extent that each component affects the others, and how challenging it can be when a part of the puzzle is missing.
As anyone from a buzzing metropolis like Hong Kong will understand, it’s second nature to take the same Type A approach in our personal lives as our professional one. A bit like the old adage ‘Work hard, play hard’ we tend to be extreme. One minute it’s boozy brunches, the next juice cleanses to make up for overindulging, rather than finding the sweet spot in between.
Life has become a big ‘to-do’ list. Meditation – check. Yoga – check. Eat more greens – check. We blindly follow what we’ve been told is good for us, but pay little attention to how we go about it. The takeaway from the week I spent surrounded by wellness warriors was that it takes as much focus to be centred as it does to be reactive.
Seemingly non-essential elements like breathing, letting go and getting comfortable with just ‘being’ – were not only crucial in meditation and yoga, but equally so in personal training sessions, and in creating a lifestyle that allows you to achieve your goals, while maintaining authentic connections.
I hope this issue combines all the parts necessary to fulfil your potential. Learn simple techniques on easing stress and anxiety (p.60), discover the spiritual slant the spa world is taking (p.62) and be inspired by well-rounded fitness adventures (p.70). Give yourself the gift of time in gorgeous locations like rugged Vancouver Island (p.114) and picture-perfect Maldives (p.134).
Wishing you well in the truest sense of the word!
Stephanie Shiu
Editor-in-Chief
stephanie@bluincmedia.com
