Bloomington Blue Zones Initiative
Last year, while launching this new career in holistic health coaching I had an inspirational “ping” that came about. One part of my training at IIN was a piece about a National Geographic researcher named Dan Buettner. He had developed this concept and a whole slew of books and online information in the area of longevity and lifestyle. Of course, I instantly ordered the Blue Zones books (or as many as I could get my hands on at the time) and that was the beginning. The 9 pillars of health outlined with similarities between all five Blue Zones regions in the world just made sense to me. Sometimes I get off topic…… so this inspirational “ping” was to reach out to the folks at Morgenstern Books to see if they would be interested in me hosting a Blue Zones Book Club. Almost a year later, here we are and there is more!
So, I initially talked to the event’s coordinator at that time at Morgenstern Books and he said, let’s think about this. About a month later I received a call from a long-time friend Cynthia Schultz. Turns out that SHE had reached out Morgenstern’s with an interest in a holistic wellness/whole foods/ lifestyle book club so he said to her “I want to introduce you to someone I just met, you two might be able to pair up on a book club.” I shared with her that a Blue Zones book club is where my passion was. So that was the starting point! Cynthia and I work so well together, she knows areas that I do not and I just love learning from her.
As we began talking I started thinking about the possibilities of bringing a wider range of Blue Zones programming to Bloomington. Then we decided to email the Blue Zones organization to set up meetings to learn how a community becomes Blue Zones Certified. Now after three meetings with their VP of Business Development, local Bloomington City officials, and beginning to build our list of stakeholders, this project is in development mode. Along with the Bloomington Blue Zone Book Club which will launch on 1/22 from 7-8 pm at Morgenstern’s (and then will take place the third Monday of every month in 2024) we have other BBZ programs underway. This includes walking groups, cooking workshops, and purpose workshops.
This work is so meaningful because it allows me to connect with others in the community who are interested in healthy living through simple lifestyle practices. This is the foundation of what I believe in as a health coach. I want to build my practice around what community members need in terms of support for their individual health goals. I want to engage, offer education when appropriate, and learn alongside others. I believe that is how growth comes about.
Which of the 9 Pillars has shaped me the most over the past two years(since learning about The Blue Zones)? I will start with Lesson 5: Purpose Now in the book we will be going over The BLue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer. Developing a daily practice where I reflect on my sense of purpose has helped me stay aligned in all other areas of my health, it is the foundation because it brings a sense of calm and focus. Then I would say Lesson 6: Down Shift……this one was huge for me. At many points in my life, I have struggled with balance and taking on too many projects for much of my life. In my 30’s after starting my first business, Royale Hair Parlor, I reached ultimate burnout. I did not see how this overwork was affecting my health (and relationships). You can eat healthy and work out every day but if you are living in constant stress with a lack of purpose, your health is going to suffer.
Along with coaching my clients on eating healthier in an intuitive way and developing a more active lifestyle, I also love working with clients in the above areas. We have moved so far away from leaning into our lives’ purpose and “just keeping up” that our bodies are bound to be affected in negative ways. These shifts seem simple but behavior change can be tough. I love my new work in being of service to promote meaningful change in people’s lives. Thank you for reading this!
For more information: https://tockify.com/morgensternevents/detail/422/1705968000000
