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The Greatest Instrument you will Ever Own
By Luanne Pennesi, RN, MS Do you like the way you look naked in a full-length mirror? Most would shudder at the thought of even going there. And yet a healthy body and a good body image are the hallmarks of a healthy person, especially if part of your profession is being a role model for health and an inspiration to your clients. So take a good look. We are usually our worst critics, but we also need to be our loudest cheerleaders. What do you like about your body? Do you have toned, defined muscles? Or do you see yesterday’s barbeque all over your gut? Is there an area that is not a problem area for you? Where can you use improvement in your physique? It’s time to get out of denial that anything can be done and consider the possibility that you can easily create the body image that you always aspired to have. As an instructor of Stress Management and Esteem Building for the Wholistic Nursing Program at the college one of the things I help people to understand is that they deserve to be healthy, ecstatically happy and independently wealthy. The first step is to visualize what you want. Then you must believe you deserve it (this part is often the most difficult for some of us). Next, you need to have faith that life will provide the opportunities for you. And at that point all you need to do is recognize them and act on them immediately. Knowing that the digestive qi (pronounced “chi”) is largely affected by the tone of the skeletal muscle and accepting that moving the body meant moving toxins out and tonifying the heart and lung qi, I decided that it was time for me to bring my exercise routine to the next level. Many of us are walking around aging ourselves because the lung and spleen qi are not being nourished and strengthened. We end up depleting our kidney qi which manifests itself in chronic illnesses and premature aging, not to mention putting a damper on our sexual energy. And when you think of it, there is little we can actually control in this life. We can’t control the weather, fate, wars, dysfunctional people, and those pesky speed bumps in the parking lot. What we can control, though, are our thoughts, behaviors and rituals. So when you set the Li (intention) that you want to take control of your physique for the right reasons, you trust that the universe will provide you with the means, and you wait for the proverbial sign... So one day, after finishing my food shopping at the local supermarket and getting my checkout receipt, I noticed on the back several coupons, one of which was for a free week at Customized Body Sculpture, a local gym. There it was! Communication from the universe! So I pushed past my fear of success and abundance (another tough area for those of us with low self esteem) and called them. This was not like any gym that I had imagined. I walked into what looked like a Roman Bath type setting, done with impeccable style and a touch of class. And across the top of the wall I saw the phrase,
I am sharing this with you because, well, why should I be the only one walking around with my ideal body? J Go out and find some kind of exercise that suits you and your lifestyle. Make sure you are combining aerobic exercise (spin classes, power walking, elliptical trainers, stair climbing machines, versaclimbers, rebounding, skating, dancing) with resistance exercise (free weights, calisthenics, circuit training). Plus I think it would be great to stand naked in front of a full-length mirror and be able to say, “Yes”! Luanne Pennesi, RN, MS Luanne Pennesi, a registered nurse practicing for over 30 years in both conventional and integrative medicine, shares information that motivates people to take back their personal power and lead happier more productive lives…at ANY age. Her work is the missing link between the confusing, overwhelming and conflicting information about "new age" or "alternative" approaches to health and anti-aging and the practical application of real-time, commonsense, scientifically based information to help you take full control over your health and longevity and often save your own life naturally. She makes learning fun as she presents wholistic health concepts in a manner that is easy to understand and to integrate. She can be reached at her home office on Long Island, at 631-504-6198
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What a concept! I found the staff to be centered, spirited, sensitive to my individual goals and genuinely encouraging without being patronizing. They created a challenging workout for me. It almost seemed too good to be true!