A tradition to drive up into the mountains from the foothills when the first snow of winter fell, her family squished into the old hand me down landcruiser with childlike joy.  The air was thin and the sky was a dense slate gray.  Crystallized ice shavings fell from the sky and tiny tongues poked out from smiling faces in hopes of nourishment from mother nature.

       She walked to the edge of the dock and gazed out at the lake with a thin sheet of ice beginning to form across the surface.  Three siblings were presented with an incentive to jump into the lake for a five dollar bill.  

A sense of ritual was in the moment; a rite of passage to prove she belonged in the mountains and could withstand the harsh conditions.  She cannonballed into the freezing water and lurched up to the surface with an exhilarating shout; pulled up by her father’s hand, she nestled into the blanket held open for her and pridefully gripped the five dollars.  

Wellness can look and feel different for a myriad of reasons but a collective understanding is that wellness practices work.  They work to make us more present with how our body and mind interact.  They work to make us more aware of our reactivity to stressors.  They work to improve focus and productivity.  

Find wellness practices that work for you and let us know in the comments your best practices.  

1. Functional mushrooms: An ancient member of the fungi family, mushrooms come in hundreds of species that range from highly poisonous to easily edible.  

What are functional mushrooms? Functional mushrooms are a collection of mushroom species that contain beneficial health properties beyond nutritional value.  Specifically, functional mushrooms contain a unique bundle of compounds, adaptogen, that help the body defend itself from stressors.  

Benefits of functional mushrooms? Depending on the mushroom, benefits vary from supporting blood sugar regulation to respiratory and brain health.  Here are a few specific kinds of functional mushrooms:

Lion’s Mane is a popular functional mushroom with the reputation of promoting brain health and reducing inflammation.

Cordyceps energizes the body and supports healthy blood clotting.  The squiggly mushroom also aids in respiratory health and has positive impacts on multiple types of cancer.

Turkey Tail gives the immune system an extra boost and acts as an antioxidant to help reduce whole body inflammation.  Plus, they are super pretty and look like wood flowers.  

2. Cold plunging: A wellness practice that we put into action as kids without consciously labeling the idea, it certainly shocked the system and awakened us with energy.  Check out Top 5 Well-Being Practices For 2024 for more about renewal baths

What is cold plunging? Exactly what the title implies, cold plunging is fully and quickly submerging your entire body into a freezing body of water.  The key component is that you don’t stay in the water long.  You jump, dip, or slide in fast, take 5-10 deep breaths and then hop out.  We practiced cold plunging in the natural setting of Crater Lake National Park.  

Benefits of cold plunging? Since the immune system is in charge of handling inflammation, cold plunging assists in decreasing inflammation, therefore supporting the strength of your immune system.  The practice is also believed to promote the production of white blood cells which also help fight infections.  

3. Micro workouts: Missing the days when there was time to spend hours at the gym, we have packed timelines so micro workouts keep us strong and healthy without requiring a lot of time. 

What are micro workouts? An effective physical fitness routine that implements a series of exercise movements that engage all major muscle groups, micro workouts are usually 20-45 minutes of consistent energy exertion that can be chunked in 10-15 time frames throughout the day.  

Benefits of micro workouts? The awesome aspect of micro workouts is that you can implement them before and after work or throughout your day as appropriate.  The workouts give similar benefits and outcomes as working out for the same amount of time in one setting.  

4. Sleep rituals: Connecting to the routines we had as children, building bedtime rituals signals your body and mind to transition into a restful state. 

What are sleep rituals? Sleep rituals are intentional habits practiced in sequence that are repeated before bed.  A cup of tea, nightly reading, brushing your teeth and washing your face all count.  The focus is to disconnect from over stimulation such as scrolling, work related tasks, cleaning, screen time, etc.

Benefits of sleep rituals? The immediate benefit is better nightly sleep.  With consistent sleep, a heap of long term benefits are better focus, stronger immune system, reduced stress, emotional regulation, and more energy.  

5. Mocktail moments: Conditioned to order a drink every time you go out to eat or coupling an associated beverage with social functions, many cultures integrate alcohol into traditions, ceremonies, and daily life. 

What are mocktails? Mocktails continue the celebration of life and culture without the consumption of alcohol.  With a focus on natural ingredients infusing juices and sparkling water, mocktails provide the social component of drinking without the hangover.

Benefits of mocktail moments? Alcohol is a carcinogen that can increase the risk of cancer and damage the body’s organs.  A beverage that emulates the ritual of drinking without the alcohol takes away the risks and also the extra calories and sugar.  It’s a win win.

6. Forest bathing: Consciously creating connections with mind, body, and nature, forest bathing is not running around naked through the trees.  Thinking about it, that sounds fun too (shoes included haha).   The practice can be incorporated in a planned day like What To Do With One Day In Mendocino, CA

What is forest bathing?  A simple stroll through nature or an intentional excursion of ecotherapy with a guide, forest bathing is a complete immersion into nature as an act of mindfulness.  Keep the phone put away and connect with the environment to build bonds between mind, body, and nature.  

Benefits of forest bathing?  Forest bathing usually includes movement which always benefits the mind and body’s health.  In addition, forest bathing helps process trauma, grief, loss, and anxiety by decreasing levels of cortisol in the body.  With the practice, levels of focus and attention tend to increase and levels of blood pressure and stress decrease.  

7. Cutdown caffeine: Coffee is such a strong part of morning ritual routines that decaf is now the cool cup to drink.  It’s not the complete elimination of caffeine, just baby steps towards decreasing the milligrams of ingestion. 

What is caffeine cutdown?  Not only found in coffee, caffeine is included in a variety of beverages consumed daily.  With the suggested 400 milligrams of caffeine for an adult per day, that’s two grande coffees per day; when you think of coffee, then tea, then soda, then an energy drink, the average daily amount of caffeine we consume can lead to heavy health concerns.  

Benefits of cutting down on caffeine?  Too much caffeine most often leads to anxiousness, stomach aches, loss of focus, and dramatic moments of fatigue.  When cutting down on caffeine by 25-50%, your body can absorb nutrients more efficiently, you can sleep better, and even experience less headaches.  

8. Low impact team play:  As adults, we replace the sense of play from childhood with roles of responsibility.  It’s important for us to remember that play is a creative outlet that promotes healthy bonds between ourselves and others.  

What is low impact team play? Any group activity that is gentle to the joints and muscles of our bodies, can be called low impact team play; it’s the idea of gathering a group to “play.”  Adult leagues of dodgeball, disc golf, cycling, etc. all bring together intentions to build relationships and create a sense of wellness within the activity.  

Benefits of low impact team play?  The physical and mental benefits of low impact team play compliment each other because as your body is practicing wellness, your mind simultaneously does as well.  Any type of team play improves overall physical and mental health while sharing experiences within a community.  

9. Nervous system regulators: Completely zoned in, we notice seconds later that we are holding our breath and our nervous system is short circuiting.  We feel tense and reactive on impulse until our sensors trigger us to take a deep inhale and release; we feel better.

What are nervous system regulators? Techniques used to reset our nervous system and regulate our mental and physical workings, nervous system regulators are practices you can do throughout your daily routines.  The wellness practice includes behaviors represented by somatic workouts, breath work, and trauma informed therapies.

What are the benefits?  The greatest benefit of nervous system regulators is that you can customize the practice to focus on key components of your mental and physical health.  By regulating the nervous system, benefits can be attributed to lung health, better digestion, heart health, and lower stress levels.  

10. Gut Health: The saying, “trust your gut” has new meaning with the ignited emphasis on how important gut health is to short term and long term health.  Like it’s own little ecosystem, your gut’s microorganisms interact within the intestines to benefit and endanger your gut health.  

What is gut health?  If you are experiencing bloating, heartburn, or gas, it may be your gut signaling it’s having a hard time digesting and absorbing nutrients.  With gut health, the bacteria in the gut has healthy bacteria from a balanced diet.  Try to eat “good gut health foods” like garlic, high fiber foods, citrus fruit, eggs, and fermented foods to improve digestive health.  You can also look into prebiotic and probiotic supplements or fasting to aid in gut health.    

Benefits of gut health? Your gut links to every part of your body so the benefits of a healthy gut is holistic.  Overall, practicing gut health regulators such as breathing and somatic exercises and diet will improve your mood, mental, heart, and brain health, immune system, sleep, and digestion.  

To be the final listed practice doesn’t mean it’s the least important; all of these wellness practices work together to strengthen the bond between mental and physical health and provide you with ideas to live a balanced lifestyle.  

The wellness practices listed are for informational and inspirational purposes only.  Each practice is an idea and example; in no way is any practice listed to be attempted without autonomy and/or consulting an expert in the field first.  Always be safe and thoughtful. 

*Top 10 Wellness Practices listed are without expert verification.

Leoluna loves you~