#LiveWholeHealth

Heart Health Awareness Month falls in February and is a great time to learn more about heart health. VA and the American Heart Association (AHA) want you to be aware of five important heart health numbers because they help providers determine your risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

Perhaps your New Year’s resolutions have been forgotten, but it’s never too late to set an intention. And you can do this every day!

When the sun is shining – and even when it is hiding behind clouds – we can practice sun salutations to warm our bodies and invigorate our day.

If there were a gentle activity you could add to your life that could improve your balance, reduce pain, and even improve your overall quality of life, would you give it a try? Consider this Tai Chi warmup.

Have you ever shoveled snow and woke up the next day feeling muscles that you forgot you had? That's the kind of physical muscle awareness you'll remember for days! Follow along for a more mindful approach – muscle awareness meditation.

Did you know that we take 12-20 breaths per minute on average? It's amazing to think that we have the natural powers to thrive simply by taking deep full breaths throughout our day. This is called paced breathing, which is slowing your breath down mindfully to focus on the length of the breath.

The start of a new year is a good time to pause and reflect on both the past year and the year ahead, setting intentions and goals.

As you head into a new year consider bringing the Loving Kindness Meditation into your life as a regular practice.

Self-care takes many forms, including nourishment, which makes us think of healthy food and drink. Have you considered other ways that you nourish your body such as vitamins and nature?

Understanding the mission is critical in the military. In Whole Health, you’re asked to consider your “Mission, Aspiration, or Purpose” when setting health goals. What you want your health for helps to guide the choices you and your healthcare team make. We call this exploring your values.

The holiday season brings joy, happiness and often stress. There's no better time to practice mindfulness so that you can be present to manage its ups and downs.

Self-care can be anything that helps you manage your stress and promote your own whole health and well-being.