the five pillars of wellness

The Five Pillars of Wellness

and the new L.O.L.

Listen, Obedience, and Love

George J. Ceremuga, DOCAPT, USPHS

Chief, Integrative Holistic MedicineFort Belvoir Community Hospital

George J. Ceremuga, DO

• Osteopathic Family Physician

• Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

• CAPT, United States Public Health

• Chief, Integrative Holistic Medicine

• Clinical Director , Inpatient Addiction

Medicine

My Vision

• Build a healthy, vibrant, and resilient

nation.

Five Pillars of Wellness

• Pure Water

– Our bodies are 70% water

– Filtered, bottle, or spring water are

essential for proper health


• Organic Foods

– As much as possible

– Fruits and vegetables should be the

mainstay of our diets

– “Food is medicine and medicine is food”


• Exercise

–Most days

– “Motion is a lotion”

– Get ready to move!


• Sleep

– 7-9 hours per night

–We need the rest to reconstitute our

bodies

– Should come naturally without

medication


• Spiritual Life

– The inspiration, motivation, direction and

guidance to live the life our higher power

intends us to live.

– Humility, love, and forgiveness

– Unconditional love being the greatest

healer


• Pure Water

• Organic Foods

• Exercise

• Sleep

• Spiritual Life

Let’s Get Ready to Move!

Grounding Posture

• Knees slightly bent

– Shoulder width apart

• Shoulders slightly back

• Chin slightly tucked

Grounding Exercise• Take a deep breath and bend down with back straight and swoop

the ground and as we again stand, trace the Chi or energy into

the front of our bodies through the meridians/energy channels.

On exhalation we trace the meridian channels on the posterior

aspect of our bodies as we bend down to gather more of the

earth’s vital energy. Our goal is to free any blocked energy

channels for optimal flow of our body’s vital energy. Repeat this

7 times (7 being the number of wholeness, completeness).

Move the vital energy into our lungs

• Start with the grounding position and take a deep

breath in with hands starting at our umbilicus and

moving up to our chest. At the peak of the breath, take

3 additional small breaths. At the bottom of exhalation,

take 3 additional small breaths out. Repeat this 3

times.

Augment the energy within our vital organs

• By rubbing the upper abdomen with both

hands we bring the vital energy from

mother earth into our legs, into our core

(abdomen and pelvis), into our chest, out

our arms into our hands and into these

vital organs (liver: many metabolic

functions, spleen: large lymph node which

helps fight infections and the pancreas:

both digestive and blood sugar control).


• We then rub the umbilicus with one hand and the

upper chest with the other. Moving vital energy to the

stomach: center of life connectedness (umbilical cord

in utero) and the nutritional center of our bodies. The

heart is responsible for pumping blood teaming full of

oxygen and nutrients throughout our bodies. It is also

the spiritual and emotional centers of our body! The

thymus gland produces T-Lymphocytes and helps fight

infections and cancer. We again bring that vital

energy from mother earth into our core (abdomen and

pelvis), into our chest, out our arms into our hands

and into theses vital organs.


• Now we rub the lower back which

represents the meridian system for our

kidneys (detoxifying our blood) and the

adrenal glands (hormonal support for

our bodies). We now bring the vital

energy from mother earth into our legs,

into our core, into our chest, out our

arms into our hands and into these vital

organs.

Reflex Microsystem Acupressure

• Our body can be mapped on

our palms soles and ears.

First rub the palm of your

hand with your thumb.

Apply firm pressure, any

tender spots, treat with

acupressure, 5 seconds of

steady pressure and repeat

as needed.


• Massage out to the tips of each finger

and thumb stimulating the nerves and

vessels to help lubricate the fingers.


• Next, move to the ear. The earlobe is

represented by the head and neck of

our body.

• Apply gentle traction on both

earlobes and feel a calming, relaxing

and a sense of tranquility.


• Then massage the entire ear front

and back feeling an increased sense

of calmness and warmth.


• Lastly, please take a seat on

the ground and place your

right leg over the top of your

left knee. Massage with firm

pressure the heel of your

foot which represents the

sciatic and gluteal region of

body.

• Apply 5 seconds of acupressure for

any tender areas and repeat as

needed. Then massage the middle of

the foot which is represented by our

intestinal tract. Again, apply

acupressure as needed.



• Now massage the

upper foot

represented by our

chest (lungs and

heart). Apply any

acupressure as

needed.


• Massage out to

the tips of each

toe stimulating the

nerves and vessels

to help lubricate

the toes.

Yoga Positions• Posterior Stretch

– Stretches hamstrings

– Increases range of

motion and strength of

spine

• Stretch for 5 seconds

and repeat 3 times

Yoga Positions• Half Spinal Twist

– Increases blood

flow and

peristalsis

• Stretch for 5

seconds and

repeat 3 times.

Yoga Positions• Repeat stretch by

switching legs and

looking over the

opposite shoulder.

• Stretch for 5

seconds and

repeat 3 times.

Muscle Energy • Muscle energy techniques

– Help build core muscles

– Strengthen lower backs

– Uses opposite muscles to balance and promote

a proper structure-function relationship

– These techniques will be used to balance the

pelvis

• Pelvis is key in establishing optimal spinal health

Muscle Energy• Muscle Energy 1

– Resist upward motion

of right knee with right

hand

– Feel the pull in the

groin and hip

• Resist 3 seconds,

relax, and repeat 3

times

Muscle Energy• Switch Legs

– Resist upward motion of

left knee with left hand

– Feel the pull in the

groin and hip


relax, and repeat 3

times


– Bring knees near chest.

Forearms on the

outside of knees

– Resist outward motion

of legs with forearms


relax, and repeat 3

times


– Keep knees near chest.

Forearms on the inside

of knees

– Resist inward motion of

legs with forearms


relax, and repeat 3

times


– While lying on our

back, bring knees into

chest and resist

outward motion of our

knees.


relax, and repeat 3

times


– While lying on our back, bring each knee individually into

chest and resist outward motion of that knee.

• Resist 3 seconds, relax, and repeat 3 times each leg

Muscle Energy

• Muscle Energy 6

– While lying on our side, bring the right knee to a 90° bend,

resist upward motion of the right knee with the right hand.



– While lying on our side, bring the left knee to a 90° bend,

resist upward motion of the left knee with the left hand.


Yoga Positions

• Cobra

– While lying on our stomach, fully extend arms and lift chest and

head off of the ground

– Increases range of motion and strengthens spine

• Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 3 times

Yoga Positions• Locust

– Arms at our sides, lift our thighs off of the ground

– Great for spinal health

• Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 3 times

Plank

• Front Plank

– Rest on our elbows and toes while keeping our body as straight

as possible

– Building the muscles of the forearms, shoulders, chest, and core.

• Hold for 30 seconds initially (increase this hold over time)

Plank• Right Lateral Plank

– Balance on our right forearm with our right foot resting over our left

foot, lift ourselves up, and keep our body as straight as possible.


Plank

• Left Lateral Plank

– Balance on our left forearm with our left foot resting over our right

foot, lift ourselves up, and keep our body as straight as possible.


Push-ups• Do as many as you can and attempt

to increase your number over time!

Break Time• Five Pillars of Wellness Review

– Pure Water

• Now is a great time to drink some pure, bottle, or filtered water

– Organic Foods

• By eating organic we minimize our exposure to toxins such as

pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and hormones

– Exercise

• Doesn’t this feel good!? Motion is a lotion!

– Sleep

• Getting proper sleep will empower us to live a healthy lifestyle

– Spiritual Life

• The most important

• The inspiration, motivation, and direction

• Living the live that God intends us to live

Core Muscle Strengthening and Introduction to Meditation

• Assume a good ground position

– Knees slightly bent

• Shoulder width apart

– Shoulders slightly back

– Chin slightly tucked


• Bring one knee

up 90°

• Breathe in a

cleansing breath

• Begin meditation


• Say and repeat “May I be happy… may I be humble… may I

be peaceful… and may I be loved.” Take a cleansing breath.


• Switch legs, say and repeat “May I be happy… may I be humble…

may I be peaceful… and may I be loved.” Take a cleansing breath.


• Assume a good grounding

position

• Switch legs

• This time have your leg

straight and your toe pointed

• Breathe in a cleansing

breath

• Begin meditation


• Just as before, say and repeat “May I be happy… may I be humble…



• Switch legs, and again say and repeat “May I be happy… may I be humble…


Moving Meditation (Qi-Gong)

• This is done in slow deliberate pattern stepping

forward with each foot five times each side and

moving the arms forward in a rhythmic pattern.

This is repeated 5 times each side 45 degrees

to the front, 5 times each side 90 degrees, 5

times each side 45 degrees to the rear and 5

times each side at 180 degrees to the rear.


• Front 5 times

each side


• 45 degrees to

the front 5

times each

side

Moving Meditation (Qi-Gong)• 90 degrees 5 times each


• 45 degrees to

the rear 5 times

each side


• 180 degrees to

the rear 5 times

each side


• Spirited and animated Qi-Gong motion

• Follow along or make up your own

• Move back and forth 7 times and repeat the

movement another 7 times. It combines moving

the upper arms in a waving motion across the

body while the legs are moving in a karaoke

pattern (crossing back and forth over one

another).

Keep Life SIMPLE

• S Seek

• I Intimacy for Self and Higher Power

• M Meditation/Mindfulness

• P Purpose

• L Love and forgive self and others

• E Eternal Enlightenment

The New L.O.L.

• L Listen

• O Obedience

• L Love

Prefer a video?

• http://tinyurl.com/

CeremugaMovement

Have a blessed day!

George J. Ceremuga, DO

CAPT, USPHS

Chief, Integrative Holistic Medicine

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

[email protected]

the five pillars of wellness

Health & Medicine

bodys vital energy

earths vital energy

pillars ofwellness sleep

blocked energy channels

vital organs liver

pillars of wellness

grounding exercise

love george