Wellness

Written and distributed to TAIT Lititz in my capacity as “Wellness Facilitator on 07/22/2018

While my career in traditional medicine has focused on treating ​illness, I never closed my mind to alternative forms of therapy. As an Anesthesiologist, I saw people in their most vulnerable and “naked” state. I saw how a positive attitude influenced outcome. I saw patients who, on paper, looked like train wrecks (insider speak) who, upon examination, seemed well. Wellness is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as​ "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being”. It is as much about keeping your mind healthy as it is your body, and I believe the two are closely intertwined. The pursuit of wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthier and more fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness. In its purest form, it is a dynamic process of change and growth.

The key word is “active”. The first step is to think about your wellness. Life is busy, and we rarely stop to reflect. Maybe, when we do reflect, we don’t like what we see. We have two choices: either ignore it or vow to get well. New Year’s Day is a time-honored tradition when we resolve to get well. Another instance where we are jolted out of our “everyday lives” and tend to see things most clearly is after a traumatic event…a medical crisis, an accident, the death of a loved one. One thing that’s consistent is that time has a way of blurring the reasons why we resolved to get well in the first place. We fall back into the same behavior and use the same tired excuses.

Be it a diet on doughnuts and fast food, any excuse to not go to the gym, running low on sleep, smoking, drinking to excess or getting stoned too often, I’ve been there. I know it’s not easy.

ALS is a powerful disease. It disarms you as it steals your strength. There is no treatment. They don’t even know what causes it. I was not well after I received my diagnosis. I was angry and depressed. Then I stumbled onto yoga. Yoga staved off my “ALS slide” and brought life into a sharper focus. I have discovered a sense of presence and contentedness, that is new. Based on the WHO definition of Wellness, I have never been more well!