TIPS ON FINDING MULTIDIMENSIONAL BLISS

BY FRANK BENNETT

Americans will spend well over $50 billion dollars this year on everything from teeth whitening to cosmetic treatments to look their best. Now, I would be one of the last people to say this is not money well spent, as I’ve spent many years as a salon and wellness spa owner and am a daily witness to the wonderful effects of great treatments and a bit of indulgence.

I also believe that balance needs be a part of life that physicality and spirituality are truly the two sides of our coin. So, every autumn and spring, we offer a complementary spiritual growth workshop. Available on a first come first serve basis, it’s a way of tapping into deeper aspects of living. As I’ve previously reported in these pages, I have few doubts about the roots of our success at A.F. Bennett Wellness Spa. “All of these things,” I’ve said, “would not be possible without God’s grace.”

Our bodies are a temple for our spirit, but it’s easy to focus on the former and forget the latter. We need to pay careful attention to this delicate thing that lives inside us. Here are some practical tips you can apply immediately that will help nurture and enliven that incredible life force.

First: Spend some time every day quietly in meditation. Its benefits are far too numerous to list here, but, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), the list begins with meditation having “been shown to relieve anxiety, stress, fatigue, and general mood and sleep disturbances,” adding that, “there is some evidence that it may reduce blood pressure and may be helpful in reducing common menopausal symptoms.” It also, of course, plugs you into the eternal.

Second: Keep the Golden Rule in mind in everything you do: “Do to others as you would have them do unto you.”

Third: Nurture a generous heart. You will simply be amazed by how much more abundant life becomes when you give without reservation whether time, resources, or love.

Fourth: Forgive, and quickly. I’m firm in the belief that grudge holding eats you alive, and research has shown that those who forgive quickly are able to have richer personal experiences.
Fifth: Remember “GIGO,” or “garbage in, garbage out.” We do real damage when we subject ourselves to disturbing stimulus, whether bad media, bad company, or bad food or drink. Gossip, backbiting, or needless disputes in the physical or social media worlds will leave marks on that beautiful spirit of yours. Also, take care in choosing those you surround yourself with. Last: Love, and love hard! Peace, love, and light.

A.F. Bennett Wellness Spa
350 New Dorp Lane / 718.979.9000
afbennett.com