In nature during evening-time, various plants and flowers close their blooms and retract their leaves in anticipation of the dark hours when they'll be deeply asleep. As the sun rises the following day, they open and stretch to greet the light and increase their oxygen while beginning interactions with numerous wonders in nature (dew, breeze, rain, insects, birds, and more).

Since we are currently in the cold Winter season here in Utah, USA, many of us could be experiencing even worse arthritic pain than usual. This is caused by our blood vessels constricting more in cold surroundings, reducing blood flow to our joints. We should try to avoid being cold by bundling up when we can! Whether our chronic pain is from an autoimmune disease (Rheumatoid Arthritis, aka RA) or aging/injury (Osteoarthritis, aka OA), we can pursue several practices, home remedies, or treatments to soothe our physical hurts.

Welcome back! I hope you have gained some useful practices or tools from Part I of this article and feel more equipped to monitor and improve your health in any body areas needing extra quality time and attention.

After reviewing all the incredible body systems discussed in Part I, we are ready to examine a suggested guide for evaluating our mental and emotional health.

Many people don't like going to the doctor. It can be common to experience intense anxiety, fear, and dread about upcoming visits to clinics, offices, and hospitals. Taking tests and waiting for results can bring much fear and stress. But...

What if we decide to be more proactive about what appears to be our body's version of 'optimal,' 'normal,' or 'healthy?' Could we reduce unneeded stress and anxiety about doctor visits? We still need to attend our various checkups and follow-up appointments, but could our entire mindset about our health change to bring more peace and ownership of our bodies?

The difference between good and bad health often lies in a fact we don't even think about, something we usually take for granted... something we typically forget is a huge part of us:

The fact that we must be able to breathe to be alive.

Many likely took at least one dance/tumbling/exercise class or played a sport as kids. It was an opportunity to move our bodies in early life. Most of us may not recall having chronic pain and stiffness as children. Did you try to do the splits to see how far you could get? The human body is designed to move, stretch, and grow. In much later years, each of us has the potential to shrink in height as we lose bone density and muscle mass. Even if some of us are in our 60s, 70s, or even 90s-100s, I believe it's not too late to hit pause on the aging effects of shrinking and bone/muscle loss.

If you've been wanting to move toward a goal of holistic living, it may help you discover what 'Holistic' means to you. What can you imagine yourself doing (or changing) to begin living 'On purpose' with holistic intent? Being mentally determined to live well before you physically see results can be a massive part of your success.

When I think of the 'survive' part of 'survive vs. thrive,' I picture being stranded in the ocean with only tiny, brightly colored pool floaties. There is at least an average depth of 2 miles between me and the ocean floor, and aggressive sharks are swimming toward me.

Forgiveness can be a powerful tool in boosting one’s immune system. When we experience being wronged or disrespected or abused by someone, whether physically or emotionally, our brain manufactures chemicals that are designed to protect and defend us. Our brain does not distinguish between emotional or physical attacks and will react this way to either situation.

When we are imbalanced within our mind, emotions, and our spirit our physical body will automatically be affected. The immune system drops dramatically when we feel heavy emotions such as anxiety, worry, fear, grief, or anger. This also leads to the person experiencing a depression, which in turn added to the further declining health of the immune system of the individual. When we are off in our minds, emotions, and our spirit our immune system becomes compromised and we are more prone to get sick.