Women In Wellness: Dr Lynn Anderson On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Your Wealth is Your Health — rather than focus on the accumulation of material things the focus would shift to the accumulation of health. When we are healthy in body, mind and soul we have wealth. Clarity, vitality and creativity are biproduct of good health and are also needed to accumulate material wealth. Material wealth can always be created, but without your health everything else is meaningless.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Lynn Anderson.
Dr. Lynn Anderson is a naturopath, yoga therapist, fitness professional, karma master, published author, international speaker and video producer with over 30 years’ experience in the field of natural health and fitness. She has been featured in Redbook, Reader’s Digest, Huffington Post, Shape, SELF and various other national publications, TV networks and Podcasts. She is the author and producer of the Soul Walking series; How to Master Karma.; How to Master Prosperity and How to Master Vitality; Doctor Lynn’s Proactive-Aging Workouts; Burnout — it happens to all of us; Sex Matters, and other health and fitness courses.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I grew up on a small island off the coast of Maine. At one time there was only one telephone on the island and to see a doctor took over an hour’s ride over rough roads and across a causeway. So many people on the island, including my grandmother, used what was known as folk medicine for minor things like infections, flues and colds. My grandmother taught me how to use herbs and plants, as well as how to make medicinal tinctures, tonics and wines for healing. Everyone had a root cellar with bottles of healing potions. I took it all in stride until I found myself deplete, exhausted and burnt-out as a young single mother struggling to put myself through school while working and raising two children. My collapse (burnout) led me to seek out alternative and natural methods for healing myself and this led to me becoming a naturopath, yoga therapist and wellness professional. Physician heal thyself — Hippocrates
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
At one time I had toxic people in my life. I asked my Guru what to do. He showed me the tip of his finger and said,
“If you have poison on the tip of your finger and you don’t remove it the poison will take over your whole body. Cut it off and move on otherwise it will destroy your health body, mind and soul.” And so, I did. As I teach my students if it is not useful, meaningful and beautiful let it go.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The biggest mistake I made was listening to that voice of self-doubt and fear that played inside my head. When I began to study Naturopathy, herbology and aromatherapy, these were considered quackery by the main stream. What’s funny is how mainstream it has all become today. Life is a circle. I’ve replaced that voice with trust and courage.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
I have been teaching Karma yoga for over 30 years, as well as Cycle and dance. As a naturopath and yoga therapist I have combined physical movement and exercise with diet and soulful teaching to help my students and clients reach a higher state of health body, mind and soul. The world will always need vital and thoughtful energy to both survive and to thrive. I hope my workshops and classes help. I try to show my students where to look, but not what to see. The journey should be about self-growth and not about a dogma. Teaching healthy self-growth body, mind and soul has the potential to make a big impact on the world.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
- At the top of my to do list every day I put workout and eat healthy — it’ the most important thing you can do in a day — Put this at the top of your list and work it into your schedule just like any other task, or appointment
- Find a fitness/health class, or a group you can commit to and show up
- Pay attention to the three pillars of health — diet, exercise and sleep — all three of these are essential to health and vitality.
- Keep practicing and when you think you got it — practice some more.
- Be proactive — you are aging from your very first breath to your very last breath, so take charge of your health. Be proactive. No one knows your body, mind and soul as you do.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Your Wealth is Your Health — rather than focus on the accumulation of material things the focus would shift to the accumulation of health. When we are healthy in body, mind and soul we have wealth. Clarity, vitality and creativity are biproduct of good health and are also needed to accumulate material wealth. Material wealth can always be created, but without your health everything else is meaningless.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- Time really flies — I wasted so much time
- Romantic Love is fleeting — I could have avoided a few heart aches
- Don’t sweat the small stuff — I took on too much stress worrying about small stuff
- Be grateful everyday — it creates happiness and good health
- Enjoy it is life’s greatest pleasure — joy fills the soul
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental Health: I believe it is at the root of all our problems — karma — the effect is a result of true cause. When we see the effects of violence, greed and horrific crimes the root cause is mental health.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
http://www.doctorlynn.com ad follow me on Instagram http://instagram.com/doctorlaa/
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: Dr Lynn Anderson On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.