wellness around the world: the european edition / SPAIN
[welcome to part 1 of my 6-part mini-series, wellness around the world: the european edition. as my family and i travel through europe, i will be sharing the wellness habits of six different countries. today's spotlight is on spain.]
after three flights and several delays, my family and i arrived in madrid on tuesday. i'd been exposed to stagnant air on the airplane, had my eating and sleeping schedules upset, and been unable to stretch out or move around for long periods of time. i was also fighting jet lag with the 9-hour time difference.
so i had this question in mind as i set out to explore my new surroundings: "spain, what can you offer me right now in the realm of wellness?" and i quickly received answers as i walked for miles through the streets of madrid, immersing myself in the laid-back and welcoming culture.
my first impression of the general approach to wellness in spain? spaniards know how to live a good life!
they do a lot of walking
they like spending time outside
they value family and friends
they take their afternoon siesta seriously
they spend hours engaging in mindful, pleasurable eating
they are relaxed, yet focused
they smile and laugh often
[descriptive words that immediately came to mind upon my first visit to spain.]
my take-away:
the spanish people exemplify one emotional wellness lesson in particular.
they do not delay their lives. they enjoy them now. [one of my new friends in madrid, a very nice gentleman and a wonderful musician. :)]
what can you delight in TODAY . . . that you've been putting off until "someday" to do?! make a commitment to yourself to ENJOY YOUR LIFE NOW. (and let me know about your plan in the comments.) [a summary of the six european wellness commitments introduced in the mini-series may be found at the end of this post.] [maxbutton id="1"]