Five Questions With

5 Wellness Tips With With Namaste Founder, CEO, & Chief Wellness Officer Julie Wald

Five Tips for Wellness From Julie Wald, Founder, CEO, and Chief Wellness Officer of Namaste

By Chloe Cornell

A wellness practitioner for over twenty-five years Julie Wald, is the Founder, CEO and Chief Wellness Officer at Namaste New York. Julie is also a bestselling author of the book “Inner Wealth – how wellness heals, nurtures and optimizes ultra-successful people”. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work from New York University and began her career in 1995 as a clinical social worker treating adults, children, and adolescents in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. In the process of building a mental health practice, Julie also pursued her personal wellness objectives and in doing so became a Certified Yoga Instructor, Meditation Teacher, Thai Bodyworker, and Reiki Master. 

Today, Namaste serves a vast and influential clientele of high-performing business leaders and celebrities in achieving their health and wellness goals, as well as people coping with acute and chronic illness who want to leverage the power of evidence based wellness practices on their journey. As Namaste’s Chief Wellness Advisor, Julie guides her team to help clients cultivate lifelong well-being through extraordinary self-care planning and practices. 

Grounded in Namaste’s four pillars of wellness – MOVEMENT, STILLNESS, CONNECTION and NOURISHMENT – here are Julie’s tips for teens to cultivate wellbeing and reduce stress during this difficult time.

Keep Moving

Movement invites us to celebrate being alive. Movement can calm the nervous system and support the body in breaking down stress hormones so the body can return to homeostasis. Aim for 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes 5 times a week of any movement practice that you truly enjoy – dance, yoga, running, barre, etc.  To make things even easier Namaste is offering online community classes every day at 5 PM, you can learn more here

 

Take A Screen Break

Even when we are lying in bed, we are mentally stimulated by the media on our phones. The experience of being in our own skin, feeling our feelings, and listening to and witnessing our thoughts has become a rare occasion for so many of us. The flip side of mental and physical movement is stillness—our bodies and minds need time for recovery and reflection. Try this five senses exercise any time you need to relax and reduce stress. 

Get to Know Your Pressure Points

Touch and massage therapy help stimulate pressure points that decrease the stress hormone cortisol, increase immune activity, and the feel-good neurotransmitters that thwart pain and improve sleep. One of my favorites is the union valley pressure point, located in the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Use your opposite hand and apply pressure for three minutes while taking slow, deep breaths. Massaging this point will help to relieve stress and ease tension in the body.

 

Fuel Your Body 

There isn’t a perfect way to feed our bodies or a ‘perfect diet. Nutrition is personal, and the key is nourishment, and giving our bodies a variety of the whole foods they crave and need. In fact, studies show that the immune system is greatly affected by a lack of plant-based nutrients in the diet, and fruits and vegetables are key to protecting your body from illness. Think simple, and start with something as straightforward as adding veggies on top of homemade pizza, or maybe add veggies and avocado to your usual eggs. For easy, minimal plant-based recipes, try Bethany Ugarte’s list of plant-based recipes with only three ingredients or less.

 

 

Practice Self-Love

Cultivating mental wellness is more important than ever, and making space for the full range of our emotions is key. Know that whatever emotions you are feeling during this time are completely valid. If you feel intense emotions or negative self talk coming up, let it come up, but try sitting for a few minutes, close your eyes, and take ten deep breaths.  As you ground, remind yourself that you are enough, you are exactly where you need to be, and that you deserve the same love and understanding that you would give anyone else. Be tender with yourself. 

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