I am a big believer in the mind-body-soul connection.
Anyone who interacts with me regularly knows I reference and lean on this trifecta constantly as my guide for daily living.
Faith is fundamental to my being, and much like how we are all created in the image of God, we are created with a triune nature the same as him – the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
As morning beckons and just before the day begins, I like to lay in bed for a few moments. During this time, I observe prayer and meditation. They each mean very different things to me, but together they form a holistic process of awareness and self-actualization.
Meditation allows me to clear my mind and set my thoughts and intentions before I go about my day. It is a moment to self-reflect and serves as a conscious reminder of my goals for the day.
I then delve into prayer, specific to my engagement with God on the things I am grateful for and the things which I need help with in my life. It is a communion where I give myself unto the Lord and trust his presence will give me the strength for the day’s challenges.
Next, I make my bed, which sounds like a fairly mundane chore but actually holds great importance. Making my bed is a mental exercise where I prioritize order and cleanliness. By making my bed, I have actively chosen to close the chapter on yesterday and start this new day fresh.
With my mental and spiritual faculties primed, I focus my attention to nourishing the body. As a professional fighter in the UFC for well over a decade, I devised a well regimented nutrition program that continues to serve me well daily.
I spend hours preparing my meals for the week and follow a pretty strict diet based on my physical needs. One meal that I never neglect to add a personal touch to is my breakfast.
Rather than going out and getting breakfast, I like to prepare it fresh. As a big advocate of raw juicing, a staple is my green drink, usually vegetables without any added seasonings. Sometimes I throw in a ginger or two to spice things up, but I rarely deviate.
Together with a platter of scrambled eggs and some boiled sweet potatoes, it makes for a nutritious serving of carbs, proteins and fats to kickstart my day.
The relationship between mind, body and soul is complex and interdependent. Our thoughts, feelings and beliefs have an impact on our biological functioning.
Even what we consume on a daily basis will linger and affect our mental states. If my soul longs for something or if my brain is mentally unsettled, I will not be able to focus properly and perform as well if these individual states are not in sync with each other.
Once I accomplish this morning routine, I will have successfully built the foundation on which my day will unfold.