The 2015 Global Spa and Wellness Summit was held in Mexico City in November. There were many dynamic speakers and presentations at this summit. Two of the most noteworthy presentations—one by Dr Deepak Chopra and one by a group of school children from Mexico City—both shared wisdom, contrasting the intellect with a purity of thought.
Dr Chopra spoke about our ability to influence the structure of our brains to optimize physical, emotional, and spiritual health. He explained that every day, our gene structure changes. If one were to take a vacation next year, from the standpoint of physical, emotional, and spiritual health, 98% of our cell structure would have changed; meanwhile, the suitcase we’d be carrying would still remain the same.
Through a tremendous conscious effort, we can affect change. Dr Chopra said it’s our being that transcends everything … our name, our identity, and even who we think we are. It is really about being—as in a human being versus a human doing.
These five factors profoundly affect our being:
— Sleep
— Stress Management
— Flexibility
— Emotions
— Nutrition
Many of us start the day with a prayer or meditation, but it’s equally important to be thankful at the end of our day. He suggested that we keep a gratitude journal where, each evening, we write down and celebrate the things for which we are grateful.
The group of children were brought together by Esther Oldak, the head of Educational Development of Sustainable Intelligence at the Institute of Thomas Jefferson in Mexico, and Alfredo Carvajal, the president of Delos International located in New York City.
Adults were asked to come up and speak with the children and share their frustrations. One gentleman was having difficulty at work; he felt that no one really listened to his ideas. As he was describing this, his anger started to build, his voice got louder, and he began to lose control of his emotions.
A 6-year-old girl was to act as his boss. She said, “Please, I understand what you’re saying. Take a deep breath and relax. Let’s talk about this. It’s really not that bad. I think that if you can express yourself with more control, other people can hopefully hear you and understand what you’re trying to say because you have good ideas, and they’re essential.“
This led to a standing ovation from the audience. We often lose perspective as adults, get emotionally carried away, and act like children. This first-grader explained that it’s all going to be okay, building Empathy, showing Optimism, giving this gentleman a goal, and asking him to manage his emotions to be a better communicator.
Basically, the children presented the 5 Pillars of Health and Wellness.
— Empathy – maintaining a positive relationship with the person you are speaking with.
— Optimism – not allowing the outside world to affect your internal health and well-being.
— Goals and Planning – through visual clarity and having both short and long-term goals.
— Self-Management – managing your emotions.
— Gratitude – don’t dwell on what you don’t have, but celebrate and be thankful every day for what you DO have.
The words of these children touched everyone so profoundly. As adults, we grew up that day.
Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Robert Henry
roberthenry@rdh-architects.com
www.rdh-architects.com
212.533.4145
