(part 1 in a series of 3 posts)

Post 1 – The 3 Treasures: Mind, Body & Spirit

Post 2 – The 5 Pillars of Health

Post 3 – The 8 Dimensions of Wellbeing

Mind (Qi)– How and what you think about and how you process information from sensory input. From the Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM) perspective, the mind is related to the vitality of the breath. Responsible for the blueprint of internal and external functions of the energy force within the body. Qi can be equated to the flame which is the source of the light that illuminates from the candle. The flame eventually consumes the candle. Qi is one’s energy or vitality. When Qi is used wisely, one’s Jing can last longer. Qi is loss through regular daily activities but gained back through good habits of diet, exercise, breathing, and sleep.

Body (Jing) – The physical matter that makes up you and how well it functions. The physical structure of the body’s tissue. Responsible for the developmental processes of the body. Jing can be equated to the wick and the wax which is the fuel for the source of the flame. Better quality wax determines the longevity of the candle. One’s Jing is determined by genetic inheritance. Jing is depleted over one’s lifetime and is not easily replenished.

Spirit (Shen) – What you believe as far as beliefs in the unknown, faith, morals, a purpose, etc. The refined level of the mind and higher consciousness. Consists of the spirit, soul, and mind. Responsible for the interaction of destiny & fate. Maintains internal and external functions. Shen can be equated to the light that illuminates a candle. A candle’s purpose is to light the darkness. One’s Shen is the illumination of their spirit. When one’s Jing and Qi are in abundance, Shen is released. Shen is divided further into the mind (shen), the intellect (yi), the corporeal soul (po), willpower (zhi) and the ethereal soul (hun). These 5 shen are a topic for another discussion.

These three treasures are the most valuable things that we all possess. Without these 3, we have no family, no friends, no career, no big house, no internet. What we sometimes see today as “new” is indeed rather old. This concept of the 3 Treasures comes from Taoism, a philosophy that is over 2000 years old, originating around 500 BCE. These are universal truths that are hard to debate. We all need to take care of our own “treasures” before we can be of benefit to those around us. Breathe deeper, exercise more, eat better, and earn a good night’s sleep by being active and relieving stress during the day.

Modern science and research seek to label and dissect any and all things, intending to assign a name or label to all that is and sometimes that which is not. With this realization, we can see from the graphic below the many sub-categories that are now thought to be parts of the original concept of mind, body, and spirit.

The mind is comprised of various components:

Intellect:

• Perception – recognizing and acknowledging sensory stimuli.
• Attention – ability to focus on specific thoughts and stimuli.
• Language – understanding and producing speech and writing.
• Planning – ability to formulate a strategy or process.
• Problem-solving – finding solutions to complex issues.
• Decision-making – making choices among options.
• Adaptation – being able to change and adjust thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Mindfulness – an awareness of current thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.

Cognitive Functions:

• Memory – storage and retrieval of information.
• Thinking – the mental process of considering or reasoning about something.
• Reasoning – the process of drawing conclusions or making inferences based on evidence and logical principles.
• Understanding – to comprehend the meaning or significance of something.
• Judgment – the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions.
• Behavior – the actions or reactions of an individual in response to external or internal stimuli.
• Sensing – the process of detecting and responding to stimuli through the sensory organs.
• Feelings – experiences of emotions.

The body can be broken down into various categories:

Health:

• Metabolism – chemical processes that occur within living organisms.
• Homeostasis – the body’s ability to manage and regulate stable internal bodily functions and conditions.
• Growth/development – physical changes throughout a living organism’s lifespan.
• Immune response – ability of the body to defend against pathogens.
• Energy – the amount of physical power that can be drawn upon.
• Sleep hygiene – the quality of an individual’s ability to rest and recover.

Fitness:

• Survival – on the most basic level, the ability to stay alive.
• Stamina – ability to sustain prolonged physical for an extended time without fatigue.
• Endurance – the muscular system’s capacity to sustain activity.
• Strength – the ability of muscles to exert force against resistance
• Flexibility – the range of motion available at a joint or group of joints
• Balance – the ability to maintain the body’s position, whether stationary or while moving.
• Control – to manage and direct the body’s movements precisely and efficiently.
• Coordination – ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently.
• Speed – to move quickly across the ground or move limbs rapidly for a specific purpose.
• Power – ability to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time.

Spirit can be interpreted through numerous facets:

Beliefs/values:

• Faith – belief in principles of an organized religion or spiritual practice.
• Morality – the ability to differentiate between what is considered right and wrong.
• Ethics – a system of moral principles.
• Reflection – the ability to be aware of one’s own thoughts and actions.
• Awareness – a sense of one’s self, surroundings, and relative environment.

Connections:

• Higher power – a sense of a greater presence beyond themselves.
• Others – relationships with people, and community.
• Nature – relationships with all living creatures and the environment.
• Purpose – a reason to wake up every day.
• Meaning – realization of one’s reason for existing.

Part 2 of this series will delve into the concept of The Five Pillars of Health.

What type of pillars have you built your foundation of health, fitness, and well-being upon? Watch my view below for further discussion.

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