What happens when the things we know are “good for us” begin to feel like another list of things we should be doing?

That question sits at the heart of Episode 10 of Facing Dementia with Laurin Wittig. Our conversation began with “the funk”—those times when motivation changes, familiar practices lose their appeal, and we can feel disconnected from the very things we thought were supporting our wellbeing. But as Laurin shared what had been unfolding in her own life, we discovered something much bigger: sometimes a new perspective is the opening that allows change to happen.

Moving From “Good for Me” to “I Look Forward to This”

Laurin described becoming tired of continually choosing activities because they were supposed to be “good for my brain,” and then feeling disappointed when she did not follow through. Her shift was surprisingly simple. Instead of asking only what she should do for wellness, she began paying attention to what genuinely brought her joy and what kinds of challenges she actually enjoyed.

Movement became an important part of that discovery. Pickleball and line dancing gave her activities she could look forward to rather than obligations she had to complete. From there, other interests began opening again—playing the piano, returning to her writing, spending time in nature, and becoming curious about what might come next.

This is an important distinction within BioEnergetic Wellness. We are not simply asking, “What activity is considered healthy?” We are also asking, “What happens within me when I engage with this activity? What do I notice? What invites me back?” Awareness gives us information that can help us make choices that are meaningful and sustainable.

Movement Is More Than Exercise

Laurin’s choices also gave us an opportunity to explore movement from a broader perspective. Pickleball asks the body to move in multiple directions, respond to changing space, coordinate the eyes and hands, shift weight, anticipate, react, and continually adapt with new partners and games. Line dancing adds rhythm, sequencing, memory, direction changes, timing, and coordination with other people.

Rather than repeating only one familiar pattern, varied movement provides the brain and body with changing sensory and motor information. Learning unfamiliar sequences and coordinating movement in new ways challenges us to adapt and develop new patterns. Just as importantly, choosing movement that is enjoyable can change our relationship with the activity itself—from something we must make ourselves do to something we anticipate with pleasure.

And then something fascinating can happen. Movement can become a doorway into other parts of life. For Laurin, joy in movement was followed by renewed interest in music and writing. One experience did not remain isolated from another. Her world began expanding.

Perspective Sits at the Seat of Change

One of the most important ideas to emerge from our conversation was this: perspective sits at the seat of change.

If we continue trying to “fix” ourselves from the same limiting viewpoint that got us to our current position, we may simply repeat the same strategies with more effort. A different perspective can reveal possibilities that were invisible from where we were standing before.

Laurin experienced this dramatically in her writing. While working on her next book, she realized that she had placed her characters in the wrong relationships. When she stopped forcing the story and allowed herself to rearrange those relationships, an opening appeared. The story could move again.

What a wonderful metaphor for wellness. Sometimes we do not need to try harder. Sometimes something needs to be viewed differently, reorganized, explored, or released. We cannot always predict what will be waiting on the other side of a new viewpoint.

Exploring BioEnergetic Wellness Through Movement

At the Greenwell Center for Holistic Health, our programs are designed to provide opportunities for this kind of exploration. Rather than prescribing one “right” way to move or be well, we use movement, intention, awareness, music, creativity and reflection to help participants notice their own experiences and possibilities.

Tai Chi Skill Building

Our Tai Chi Skill Building classes explore much more than memorizing a sequence of movements. Through Tai Chi, we can investigate time, space, coordination, balance, intention and the relationship between one movement and the next. The series also brings in the arts and other experiential explorations, inviting participants to become curious about how movement can influence perspective and how we organize ourselves within an experience.

The goal is not perfection. It is discovery. A familiar Tai Chi movement can reveal something different when we change our attention, rhythm, direction, intention or relationship with the space around us.

Movement and Music — On Demand

Our Movement and Music on-demand program provides another way to explore wellness through movement at your own pace. The program weaves together movement, intuitive music, intention and tea, with seated and standing possibilities so participants can explore rather than perform.

Music changes the experience of movement. Movement changes how we experience space. Intention changes what we notice. When these elements come together, we have an opportunity to discover responses and possibilities that may not have been available through thought alone.

Tea as a Daily Intention

The teas from the Cape Breton Tea Company add another simple layer to this approach. Each blend carries an intention or affirmation that can turn an ordinary cup of tea into a daily pause for awareness.

The tea does not become another wellness task to complete. Instead, preparing and sipping it can create a moment to reconnect with the goal or intention we are exploring. What do I want to bring into today? What am I noticing? What might I approach differently?

For Episode 10, we shared the new Butterscotch Delight, a combination of black and green tea with honeybush, fruit, flowers, cinnamon and natural flavours. Its affirmation was especially fitting for our conversation:

“May my spirit be deeply comforted, my heart gently opened, and my days rich with connection.”

Sometimes a wellness plan can begin with something that simple: a cup, an intention, a moment of awareness, and permission to notice where the experience leads.

What Might Be Waiting on the Other Side?

Laurin’s journey in this episode reminds us that we do not always know where one joyful choice will lead. Pickleball can lead to line dancing. Movement can rekindle music. Quiet in nature can reveal disconnection. Surrender can reopen a book. A different relationship between fictional characters can illuminate something about the relationships and patterns in our own lives.

That is why perspective matters so much. When the viewpoint changes, possibilities change with it.

As you consider your own wellness plans, try asking something different this week: What do I genuinely look forward to? Then notice where that answer takes you.

Coming Next: We Reverse the Microphones

Our next Facing Dementia conversation takes a fun turn. Laurin returns to her podcast-host role and interviews me.

We will explore a question that grew directly from this episode: Can our wellness practices themselves become a source of pressure?

What happens when exercise, food, sleep, meditation, supplements, brain health and all the things we believe we “should” be doing become another measure of whether we are succeeding or failing? Laurin will bring the questions, and I will explore how the BioEnergetic Wellness Formula can help us shift from surveillance and self-judgment toward awareness, curiosity, adaptability and trust.

In the meantime, explore the BioEnergetic Wellness programs, Tai Chi Skill Building, Movement and Music, wellness resources and daily inspirations available through the Greenwell Center for Holistic Health. And perhaps make your next cup of Cape Breton Tea Company tea an opportunity to pause and ask: What new perspective might be available to me today?