Global Wellness Day 2020

The Wellness of WE – Global Wellness Day

Every day is Global Wellness Day at CIVANA and that tends to encompass a personal journey. Today feels like a good day to remember something that inspires our mission. A quote from author Greg Anderson:

“Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit – the realization that everything we
do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of wellbeing.”

This extends beyond the individual, for nothing is separate. We live in a fundamentally interconnected world. From the air that we breathe to the food that we eat, from our supply chains to the technology that keeps us connected during this time of physical distancing. The basic truth is: we belong to each other. Complete integration.

We suffer and we thrive.
We laugh and we cry.
We move and we are still.
WE.

Each day, we co-create this field environment that we live in. Our thoughts, what we say, and certainly what we do are all contributing. So, on this Global Day of Wellness, perhaps it is a good time to make sure what you are feeding the environment are the seeds that you wish to grow. For you, for those you love, and for all who call this planet home.

Until we are all well, we have work to do.

In celebration of Global Wellness Day, CIVANA is providing a four-part “mini-retreat” focused on our holistic 4-pillar approach to wellbeing: fitness & movement, personal growth & discovery, spa, and culinary. Today, whether you move, or you are still, take a minute or several hours to honor your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual self in a way that tends to this garden that we all share.

1) GROWTH

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
Melody Beattie

Nearly 20 years of formal research has validated what those who regularly practice this already know, an attitude of gratitude has the capacity to improve physical health, enhance psychological resilience, and increase our sense of social connection. At CIVANA we begin and end each day with our daily set/reset ritual, creating time and space to be present, together. It makes us better humans, more collaborative coworkers, and a kinder community of souls holding space for our guests and visitors.

Begin your morning by simply listing three things you intend or expect to be grateful for today. This can be as simple as jotting it down in a note pad or your phone, or you might choose to invest in a tool like the 5 minute journal. As with everything at CIVANA, the choice is always yours.

2) MOVEMENT

You’ve stretched your heart and mind, now let’s work on that beautiful body! Join CIVANA Wellness Guide Stephanie Derby in this full-body at-home workout. This 30-minute interval training will leave you feeling sweaty and alive.

3) SPA

Enjoy this at-home method of our very own Aqua Therapy Circuit. The health benefits are bountiful, including circulation and vascular elasticity, enhancement of focus and feelings of overall wellbeing, a necessary boost to your immune system, increased metabolic potential, and assistance in restful sleep.

• Step 1: Encase yourself in a warm shower – if you can close the door to enhance steam, that is helpful. Remain in your warm element until your body feels like it has reached its limit. (Do not exceed 10 minutes)
• Step 2: Immediately exit the hot water and submerge your feet in a cold plunge of water that reaches from your feet to mid-calf. Do this until it feels like you can no longer stay. (Do not exceed 3 minutes)
• Step 3: Remove your feet from the cold and notice your body from the inside out – what is the quality of your breath like? Your heart rate should be elevated; this is where the immunity benefits rush in. Rest and hydrate while you allow your body to naturally warm to room temperature. This can take 20-40 minutes depending on your circulation.
• Step 4: Repeat this circuit 3 times if you can.

4) CULINARY

Have you heard of aquafaba? If not, prepare to have your mind blown. When whipped, aquafaba (fancy word for the water from a can of chickpeas) perfectly mimics the texture of egg whites, making it an ideal base for a healthier meringue.

Enjoy this delicious recipe from CIVANA’s executive pastry chef!

Ingredients
• 6 tablespoons of water from a can of chickpeas or from soaking your chickpeas overnight
• ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
• ½ cup of sugar (granulated works best, but coconut is delicious as well)
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions
1. Place the chickpea water and cream of tartar into a bowl. With an electric mixer, begin to mix slowly until foamy. Then increase speed until the mixture develops a stiff peak.
2. Add sugar very slowly while the electric mixer is on high.
3. Add vanilla extract while the mixer is still moving.
4. Preheat oven to 250 F.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the mix into cookie shapes (you can also spoon if you aren’t able to pipe).
6. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes – then turn the oven off and let the meringue sit in the oven for an additional 45 minutes.
7. Remove and enjoy (and maybe share because wellness begins with WE).