By Deborah Bier, Publisher and Editor of this ezine, and a Holistic Therapist and Wellness Counselor

The Concord Magazine is delighted to announce that we are adding a new tour to this already impressive list: The Concord Wellness Tour. It's designed especially with local residents in mind, though anyone can take it -- either when they visit here or by using a version adapted for wherever they live.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the time to take a tour. I'm too busy," you might be thinking. "I have so much to do, and my schedule is already way out of control...I don't need one more thing to do!"

But you don't have to necessarily go out of your way to take this tour. It doesn't take much time and it's entirely free. It doesn't start at any particular time or place, and it's entirely self-paced. Anyone can join; in fact, the more stressed, tired, busy and burned-out you are, the more you might enjoy it. Though, those who are well-rested and in robust health can benefit from it, too!

Get on Board: The Tour is Getting Ready to Leave
The Concord Wellness Tour combines the many features and resources of our beautiful, fascinating town with a quest to improve our and our families' wellbeing in small but significant ways. Each "stop" on the tour offers small and simple practices for greater health and wellness.

We will include small, smaller, and smallest versions of these exercises so that you can find the one that feels most comfortable to you. We will also include versions for those who do not live or work in Concord which can be practiced anywhere.

We will be experimenting with ways to provide new installments of the Wellness Tour between editions of the Concord Magazine. Once this has been more clearly formulated, we will email you with that information. If you are already a subscriber to the Concord Magazine, you are on our notification list. If you are not, you may sign up here (it's free!).

Kaizen: Small, Significant and Lasting Change
As I've mentioned in the recent past, I feel the most important contribution I can make to my community is to help its members be and stay well. Preventing serious, chronic and degenerative illness is a vital public health issue for all communities. The Concord Wellness Tour is one way that might help.

I've been seeing clients in my holistic healthcare practice for 15 years. Whether they come to me chronically ill or well, there are two most-common themes; the first I see as the problem, the second offers a possible solution.

The problem is that so often our lives are filled -- even overflowing -- with all types of stress. When we're stressed, we don't take good care of ourselves physically, emotionally or spiritually. Stressed-out people already feel overwhelmed; the thought of taking action to reduce stress overwhelms (and stresses) us even more. A fine Catch-22.

For many of us, the answer lies in the surprising power of introducing small changes and stress-reducing practices into our everyday lives. These do not take us away from our daily activities, but fold into our regular lives.

Though each small practice may not seem earth-shaking or life-changing, finding tiny ways to create wellbeing every day really does add up. While many of us think we have to quit our jobs, leave our families, and move to the mountain-tops of Peru, I think this leads us on a false trail. I've found that it's what we do (or don't do) in our normal lives that makes all the difference. Taken together, these small, regular, lasting practices can help transform our lives.

The term kaizen has become popular in recent years, particularly in the field of business management. But it is also nicely applied to our health and wellbeing. Kaizen is from two Japanese words: kai and zen. Kai means to change or modify. Zen means to improve. Together, it means gradual and orderly, continuous improvement.

This is not to say that large-scale life changes are unwelcome or not useful. After all: Concord has seen it's share of revolutionary change. Please do feel free to practice transformation on the grandest of scales possible!

An Invitation
Do you have a favorite, simple way to reconnect to a calm and comforting wellspring of vitality and peace? Do you regularly practice a way to increase or maintain your health and wellbeing? Is there a special place or activity in Concord which helps you feel refreshed and renewed? We'd like to hear about it -- please write to us!

The First Installment Coming Soon: Concord is a town of waterways...taking care of our own waters.

Artwork: Courtesy of Art Today

     

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