The wellness guru and women’s health advocate shares how the fairer sex can stay sane and balanced in a culture that glorifies 'busyness'.
The year 2017 sees being busy as the new status symbol. Back-to-back meetings, overtime and accepting more projects is the new measure of self-worth. Behind this glorified trend of the young and ambitious, come harmful consequences.
But you don’t have to give it all up – proper self-awareness and a focus on inner wellbeing is key to this busy routine, emphasises Hannah Patricia Lo, an enigmatic advocate of women’s wellness.
Once a sought-after model, Hannah has experienced the challenges and demands of the entertainment industry. Nowadays, Hannah is kept busy building her website, creating relationship workshops, as well as developing a women’s program Awaken The Rose, to support modern lifestyles.
“Everything I’ve ever needed has always been inside me,” says the self-assured Hannah, citing an innate strength within every person.
Backed by real-life experiences and spiritual studies that took her across Egypt, India and America, Hannah shares some vital empowerment tips for women, for those moments when life becomes too overwhelming.
Your inner self is connected to your physical self
"If you neglect one, it will affect the other. Dr Candace Pert, an award-winning neuroscientist, found that, "there is no disease that isn't mental and emotional as well as physical." Your physical health is dependent on your emotional/inner wellness."
How to smoothly embrace meditation
"My number one tip to beginners is to do some kind of movement or breath work practice before you begin to meditate. I would suggest at least 15 to 20 minutes of movement or 3 minutes of breathing exercise. It will make it much easier to sit still, focus and settle into a meditative state. That was the original purpose of physical yoga postures— to prepare the body for meditation. It's important to spend time connecting with yourself."
Practice every-day self-awareness
"I take note of my feelings, from moment to moment; from a sensation in my body to an emotion that arises. That will then tell me, for example, whether I need to slow down or say, spend time alone. Whether I've eaten well, if I'm overreacting to something or making a decision from feeling small rather than empowered."
Awareness of my feeling helps me make better decisions throughout my day. I also do my best to be fully present as I can, to one thing at a time.
Putting meaning to a holistic lifestyle
"The word ‘holistic’ means all encompassing. It's when you consider the whole and not just the parts because you know that everything is connected. One of my female heroines, Dr Christiane Northrup, an expert on women's health, would ask women to fill in a form with questions spanning her home/family environment, her relationships, what she ate, how regularly she exercised, her self care practice, sleeping patterns, her emotions, her job satisfaction, and so on. Everything affects the quality of our life."
