A mandala for well-being

Life's greatest achievements are gained through small, everyday actions. What are these? Fitness expert PEG JORDAN suggests simple tools which are important to an individual's well-being.

SOONER or later, you will catch on to something that the sages understood: that life's greatest achievements are gained through the accumulated sum of small, daily disciplines. What better way to start the new year than to dedicate yourself to a journey of well-being, all accomplished through simple, daily actions. Out of the many possible lives you could be living, it is the small, daily actions that determine the one you have.

To make this well-being journey easier, I have devised a sort of well-being mandala for you to imagine, draw or otherwise get creative with, and chart your progress. The mandala gives you a visual portrait of your present level of health based on a holistic approach to mental, physical and spiritual functioning. But it can only do so if you make a sincere appraisal of how you take care of yourself and honour your commitments.

Mandalas have appeared throughout the ages as symbolic representations of a culture's worldview or an artist's inner life. A Hindu sacred mandala shows the energy of the Mother as a series of concentric triangles, known as the Sri Yantra. Many indigenous people create round earth shields with shell, features, leather and other materials sacred to the tribe. During the European middle ages, mandalas were evident in the stained glass windows of great cathedrals such as Chartres and Notre Dame. The Tibetan Buddhist monks create short-lived, exquisite mandalas of coloured sand representing their entire cosmology and endless impermanence.

Your personalised well-being mandala serves as a tool for your imagination, spurring you to adopt and enjoy more healthy activities. By shading in the various spokes of the wheel, your wheel will evolve into a colourful pictogram that depicts exactly where you are focusing your time and energy, and where you may need to give more attention. It will help you identify imbalances in your daily life. Do you spend too much time at work? Are your responsibilities crowding out areas of self-care? How well do you balance routine demands with family, friends, play and personal growth?

Think of it as a living wheel, always in flux, constantly readjusting to the shifting demands and desires of your life. Once you have made an effort to redirect your efforts, re-draw your wheel every few months to get a new visual symbol of your well-being.

How to complete your wheel: Filling in your wheel should be illuminating, fun, and creative. Use pencils or coloured markers to highlight each section as you grow in awareness and proficiency. You will find six spoked sections which represent the six chief areas of well-being. Under each section, you will find several questions, intended to help you round out your commitment to that section. How many can you answer in the affirmative? If you do not get a perfect score at all once, do not worry. No one does. Your well-being mandala should accompany you throughout the year. Post it in a visible place, where you can gain the skills and awareness of including these simple, daily actions in your life. Once you have scored impressively in one section, colour it in and make your mandala a lovely spectacle. Have fun with it.

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Six-spoked wheel of harmony

Pleasurable movement

Do you take delight in daily physical activity?

Do you grant yourself a dedicated time for stretching each day?

Do you gather 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day?

Do you strength train three times a week?

Do you practice breathing meditations and rituals?

Do you take time each day to work on balance and coordination?

Do you cultivate personal power for good purpose?

Do you know how to generate energy whenever needed?

Do you take time to melt away stress and tension?

Do you let rhythm and music move you?

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Right nourishment:

Do you eat only what is best for you?

Do you keep yourself well hydrated with clean water?

Do you eat according to the season, and what is grown in your region?

Do you wisely use nutritional supplements and healing herbs?

Do you practice a twice yearly ritual of cleansing fast or detoxification?

* * *

Smart self-care:

Do you treat your body so well that you look and feel much younger than your actual years?

Do you get massages regularly?

Do you enjoy aromatherapy in the home or office?

Have you learned how to unclutter your lift and shed what's outdated?

Do you live within your financial means?

Do you give your body the rest and deep sleep it needs?

Do you avoid cigarette smoke and refrain from smoking yourself?

Do you give attention to plants and flowers in your living space?

Do you practice safety measures?

* * *

Intellectual well-being:

Do you practice relaxation techniques to quieten the mind?

Can you imagine another's viewpoint and be flexible in your opinion?

Do you have work that you find enjoyable and rewarding?

Is you emotional IQ as healthy as your intellectual IQ?

Are you recognised for being optimistic most of the time?

Are you a continuous learner in the school of life?

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Emotional well-being:

Can you forgive others and forgive yourself?

Are you able to express hurt and anger without blame?

Can you confront your fears and transform them to learning opportunities?

Can you call on support from friends and family without feeling guilty?

Do you know the joy of giving and receiving love? Can you feel shy and still reach out?

Do you volunteer at a nonprofit charity or good-works centre occasionally?

Do you tell the truth even when it's not easy?

Can you usually think of something funny and laugh at yourself?

Do you take time to express gratitude and appreciation?

Do you avoid generalisations, ethnic jokes and prejudices?

* * *

Spiritual well-being:

Do you reserve a portion of each day for the divine?

Do you sense purpose and meaning in your life?

Do you grow inspired whenever you see with your heart?

Do you have a strong sense of community and belonging?

Blessings on your simple, daily actions.

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