Health in Captivity

     Part of my idea behind naming my blog “Harmony in Health” was to promote overall fitness and wellness.  Sometimes I believe we can all get too caught up in one area of our lives.  For some of us we focus too much on our jobs or careers.  Others may obsess over exercising or dieting.  Some individuals get wrapped up in relationships or friendships. There are even people who volunteer too much.  Don’t get me wrong.  All of these areas of focus are wonderful but we must strike a balance between our mind, body, and souls.

     I have been reading a book entitled “A Stolen Life”.  It is a memoir of Jaycee Dugard.  In this book Dugard gives an account of her life which was “stolen” from her at age 11.  She was kidnapped and became a prisoner of a man and his wife.  For eighteen years she was abused mentally, physically, and emotionally.  It is an amazing story of survival and resilience.  What I wanted to highlight from her survival story is that even while held in captivity, she understood the importance of overall wellness.  She made it a goal to strengthen her mind, body, and soul. 

     On October 3, 2004 she wrote down in her journal while in captivity, “10 things I want to do”.  The entire list is inspiring but a couple that stuck out to me included, “1. Lose weight. 2. Do yoga in the morning…4. Learn something new. 5. See all the people I care about…” On March 28, 2006 she wrote a journal entry entitled “My Dreams for the Future”.  “…5. Swim with the dolphins. 6. Touch a whale… 10. Horseback ride on the beach every day.”

     At this point in her journal, she would have been in captivity for over 13 years. I find it quite amazing that she still had a passion to exercise and to educate herself.  She also longed for relationships and to be with animals.  I believe at our core we have a desire to have a balanced life which includes feeding our mind, body, and souls with life-giving things. Be inspired to exercise, to build relationships, and to seek out truth and peace.  These are gifts we should embrace and incorporate into our lives.