Chicago Counseling practice Urban Balance LLC, along with Serenity Health & Wellness and The LaGrange Institute of Health hosted a client appreciation event on Monday.
The hosts talked abut the mind/body connection and that both the mind and the body must be addressed in order to achieve overall wellness.
Joyce Marter, LCPC (Psychotherapist & Co-Owner of Urban Balance) talked about strategies for body acceptance and confidence.
Dr. Amanda Karm (Chicago Chiropractor and Acupuncturist with Serenity Health & Wellness) talked about common myths related to exercise.
Dr. Gina Sirchio (Chicago Nutritionist with The LaGrange Institute of Health) gave a fantastic presentation on nutrition that spiked a lot of interesting discussion and banter about how to eat better and feel better.
Numerous clients and colleagues (psychiatrists, nutritionists, physical therapists, life coaches, acupuncturists, chiropractors, etc.) attended this exciting event and participated in discussions and networking related to health care, wellness and business.
Damien Casten of Candid Wines (www.candidwines.com), a Chicago organic wine distributer, supplied wine samples during the event and generously gifted each attendee with a bottle of wine.
First to speak was UB's Joyce Marter. Her motivation for organizing the event was to help women (and men) conquer bathing anxiety, and create body acceptance that leads to better health and a better body.
"We are own worst critic when it comes to body acceptance," Joyce said, "Our self-perception of our bodies is a mental image, often not reality based".
Joyce said that men too must be aware of mind/body issues and the need to "love the way you look." Gay men especially, she noted, often feel tremendous pressure in the community to look a certain way.
"Take care of your body like a good parent cares for a child," Joyce said. In this era of such distorted importance placed on physical beauty, Joyce said first take time to celebrate your body, and be grateful for it.
Joyce provided tips on how to begin celebrating your physical self as a critical first step to creating both mind and body health:
- Breathing/Meditation – a few minutes every morning and evening
- Visualization – picture feeling happy, healthy and confident
- Mindful Awareness – around emotions about food and exercise
- Create Power of Intention – create intentions for the day
- Self-Coaching – encourage yourself
- Practice Gratitude – eliminate focus on deficiency
- Accept Compliments---learn to say thanks without self-deprecation
- Stop Criticizing---don't contribute to society's obsession with body
- Positive Thinking – let go of superficial considerations
- Forgive yourself--let go of the past
- Enjoy the Physical and Sensual – celebrate your body