For years, Grace Leon put her body first. She worked at a gym, exercised regularly, and even competed as a bodybuilder. She kept pushing herself, believing that physical strength would equal happiness. Instead, she found that the harder she worked, the worse she seemed to feel about herself. It wasn’t until Leon tried yoga that she experienced an epiphany: She couldn’t expect to feel great unless she made her mental and spiritual well-being just as much of a priority as her physical gains. The 28-year-old Leon, a yoga instructor and wellness coach based in St. Louis, now strives to help her clients come to the same realization about the mind-body connection through a whole-body, holistic approach to wellness.
What does a whole-body approach to wellness look like in execution? When someone comes to me, I obviously ask them about their physical activity level and their nutrition. But I also want to know about their sleep hygiene, stress levels, and water intake. I want to know how they view themselves every day in the mirror, and what their relationships are like.
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Is that the mind-body connection in a nutshell? Yes. It’s important to teach people how to listen to their intuition versus trying to force things. A lot of times, we think we have to do this, or we have to do that to be healthy. But different forms of activity are not for everyone, so it’s important to really listen to your body. Ask yourself, “How do I enjoy moving my body, and what’s something I can stick to?” instead of telling yourself, “I hate my body, and I want to get skinny, and I need to lose weight.” When we can come from a space of love and respect for our bodies, we can make changes from there.
What are some steps people can take to begin the process of listening to their bodies? Everyone is so busy these days that it seems like a lot of people don’t take the time to really check in with themselves. So when I work with people, I recommend just finding quiet time and incorporating breathwork or meditation. You can also try journaling, or going for a walk.
Are there questions you should be asking yourself during these moments? Yes. Ask yourself, “How am I showing up today? Where am I physically, mentally, and emotionally, from one to 10?” If your emotional level is at a three, for example, can you go for a walk? Can you call a friend or schedule a massage? So many people just go through the motions and are unaware of how they’re actually feeling on a day-to-day basis.
Once someone starts self-evaluating, how long does it take to see results in their overall wellness? You have to take time and put effort into it. This isn’t something where you sit down and meditate for a week, and all of a sudden you’re enlightened. It’s a daily practice. But once you create the habit of waking up and checking in with yourself, you’ll notice a difference over time.
Beyond these self-evaluations, are there other practices you would recommend to help someone become better in tune with their body and mind? Gratitude is a really big one. A lot of times, when people think about wellness or fitness, it comes from a place of “I need to look this way and have this or that.” Try to be grateful. Energy is everything. When we put out the energy that we want to attract, that’s what’s going to come to us. I think that was the biggest lesson that I’ve learned. For so long, I worked out and looked at it from a place of dislike. I would think, “I need to change because I don’t like the way I look.” Now, I try to have respect and gratitude for where I am, while also telling myself that I want to continue getting better because I want to feel good for myself, versus looking good for other people.
What are some ways that people can practice gratitude? Write down 10 things you’re grateful for and start there. You’ll then notice things throughout the day that you’re thankful for, like your morning cup of coffee, a walk, or a healthy meal you were able to cook at the end of the day. You’ll start to see gratitude where you didn’t see it before. When we see that we’re happy with our coffee and our walks, for example, we’re going to attract more of that happiness and more good things into our lives.
How do you make sure to stay on task and remember to check in with yourself? When I was first starting out, I would set alarms throughout my day. I’d set one in the morning, one around lunch time, and one in the evening. At each alarm, I’d set aside one to two minutes to take a few deep breaths and say something that I was grateful for right then and there.
