On this page, I have chosen to look at the topic of "Healthy Living", a well-known concept in today's health conscious world. I took time to observe this topic, by using as many senses as possible. What does healthy living sound, taste, smell and feel like? I have attempted to reimagine the concept of what it means to be healthy living. This process has allowed me to reflect on what it means to consciously think, and the meaning behind "perceiving".
Please see below for my Poem "Next!", followed by a brief reflection of the process of perceiving with regards to what I now know.
Thanks for reading!
Please see below for my Poem "Next!", followed by a brief reflection of the process of perceiving with regards to what I now know.
Thanks for reading!
Next!
Who’s up next to take the healthy living test?
Good morning, you look great,
face is on, tum is trim
and all updated
with that personality photoshopped
social
media
persona.
Bank balance has been checked,
Nice car, nicer home
Now keep crunching those apples, you feel fantastic,
And don’t forget to smile so you
have
a great
day.
I can taste something bitter, is this the taste of success?
Or the taste of conformity as I stand like some robot on standby.
Pre-planned, 5-a-day, 30-minutes of fad,
so prescribed as I work to live, but its ok just
update,
crunch,
smile?
As the mirror says “yes” my mind disagrees, confused
Between the BMI, HIT, High GI and the MSG
Waste training, master cleanse, fat-free everything,
As the “healthy living” trends tell me how I need to feel and
think and
Live.
Pause
(Not for too long though, somebody might be watching)
How I remember
The bite of a breath that filled my lungs at the end of the run,
When the beat of my heart meant more that the tick of a timer,
And the smell of green not other peoples sweat in the
chicken
coop
gym
When my clothes felt great, as my body was my own
instead of societies, with its vanity,
Pre-conceived ideals of who we are on the outside.
Forget inside. Comply with the criteria,
Enough already,
Smile,
Spin class at 6.
NEXT!
Who’s up next to take the healthy living test?
Good morning, you look great,
face is on, tum is trim
and all updated
with that personality photoshopped
social
media
persona.
Bank balance has been checked,
Nice car, nicer home
Now keep crunching those apples, you feel fantastic,
And don’t forget to smile so you
have
a great
day.
I can taste something bitter, is this the taste of success?
Or the taste of conformity as I stand like some robot on standby.
Pre-planned, 5-a-day, 30-minutes of fad,
so prescribed as I work to live, but its ok just
update,
crunch,
smile?
As the mirror says “yes” my mind disagrees, confused
Between the BMI, HIT, High GI and the MSG
Waste training, master cleanse, fat-free everything,
As the “healthy living” trends tell me how I need to feel and
think and
Live.
Pause
(Not for too long though, somebody might be watching)
How I remember
The bite of a breath that filled my lungs at the end of the run,
When the beat of my heart meant more that the tick of a timer,
And the smell of green not other peoples sweat in the
chicken
coop
gym
When my clothes felt great, as my body was my own
instead of societies, with its vanity,
Pre-conceived ideals of who we are on the outside.
Forget inside. Comply with the criteria,
Enough already,
Smile,
Spin class at 6.
NEXT!
Reflection
Perceiving is taking time out of a busy day to experience a conscious process that involves using multiple senses to actively think, consider and observe rather than simply look.
My original observation related specifically to my opinion on what I understand by the term “healthy living” and I considered exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing to be important features. The sounds I associated with healthy living are upbeat and positive in nature; laughter, chatting, and music. I imagine enjoying a meal, socializing with friends or seeing children playing as a family. Healthy living is having time to exercise, using music as a means to motivate or relax. It is the feeling of pride as I strive to be the best I can be in work and in my personal life. This feeling is experienced in the morning, as I wake to begin a fresh new day, full of enthusiasm and importantly physically well and energetic. It tastes cold, like fresh, colorful fruit and veg, or like a hearty home cooked Scottish meal to warm me on a winters Sunday. Lastly, it moves with ease; no groans as I stand, or cracks from my back. It feels like I am running on air, or biking downhill, free to challenge myself physically with the drive of self-improvement because I want to, not because I feel I must.
As I reimagined this topic, I felt the need to draw on perspectives of colleagues, family or friends who have experienced a struggle, either with their work life balance, diet or exercise. This broadened my perspective and removes the rose tinted glasses! As part of the re-imagination I evaluated the stereotype of what “healthy living” might look like. Some might say me; a limited observation and illustrates how looks can be deceiving! I cannot claim to be the ideal role model for healthy living. The main idea I tried to convey in my poem was that a healthy body does not mean healthy living, and sometimes one can be at the expense of the other. Many believe they must conform to an ideal image of what healthy living means or looks like. In addition I wanted to capture how many (including myself) only look literally at a concept, and can be naïve to accept the next quick fix, fad or diet that appears. My re-imagination led me to the concept my poem; an authoritarian figure dismissively judged what it looks like to be healthy. The subject takes a moment to think, reflect and reminisce.
I would like my students to be aware of the implications of trying to fit the mold that exists in society today, and encourage them to be open-minded to understand the impact and importance of looking beyond the immediate image. The subject in the poem feels pressure and compares their current situation and conformity to strive for so called perfection (or moreover perceived perfection), to a more happier, healthier perspective on what healthy living used to mean to them. I would like to encourage my students to perceive, analyze and dive under the surface to understand this topic from a physical and mental perspective. This would spark some great discussions in Health class.
Perceiving is taking time out of a busy day to experience a conscious process that involves using multiple senses to actively think, consider and observe rather than simply look.
My original observation related specifically to my opinion on what I understand by the term “healthy living” and I considered exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing to be important features. The sounds I associated with healthy living are upbeat and positive in nature; laughter, chatting, and music. I imagine enjoying a meal, socializing with friends or seeing children playing as a family. Healthy living is having time to exercise, using music as a means to motivate or relax. It is the feeling of pride as I strive to be the best I can be in work and in my personal life. This feeling is experienced in the morning, as I wake to begin a fresh new day, full of enthusiasm and importantly physically well and energetic. It tastes cold, like fresh, colorful fruit and veg, or like a hearty home cooked Scottish meal to warm me on a winters Sunday. Lastly, it moves with ease; no groans as I stand, or cracks from my back. It feels like I am running on air, or biking downhill, free to challenge myself physically with the drive of self-improvement because I want to, not because I feel I must.
As I reimagined this topic, I felt the need to draw on perspectives of colleagues, family or friends who have experienced a struggle, either with their work life balance, diet or exercise. This broadened my perspective and removes the rose tinted glasses! As part of the re-imagination I evaluated the stereotype of what “healthy living” might look like. Some might say me; a limited observation and illustrates how looks can be deceiving! I cannot claim to be the ideal role model for healthy living. The main idea I tried to convey in my poem was that a healthy body does not mean healthy living, and sometimes one can be at the expense of the other. Many believe they must conform to an ideal image of what healthy living means or looks like. In addition I wanted to capture how many (including myself) only look literally at a concept, and can be naïve to accept the next quick fix, fad or diet that appears. My re-imagination led me to the concept my poem; an authoritarian figure dismissively judged what it looks like to be healthy. The subject takes a moment to think, reflect and reminisce.
I would like my students to be aware of the implications of trying to fit the mold that exists in society today, and encourage them to be open-minded to understand the impact and importance of looking beyond the immediate image. The subject in the poem feels pressure and compares their current situation and conformity to strive for so called perfection (or moreover perceived perfection), to a more happier, healthier perspective on what healthy living used to mean to them. I would like to encourage my students to perceive, analyze and dive under the surface to understand this topic from a physical and mental perspective. This would spark some great discussions in Health class.
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