Rick's 12 Days of Christmas: Living in Total Health by Glen Alex
Author and Massage Therapist, Glen Alex has a new book out…
Glen Alex’s family and friends know that she is about health—perhaps nauseatingly so to them. She believes in a healthy body, mind, and spirit as the full expression of humanity. So health is at the forefront of her life. Whether in massage therapy, social work, charity work, or interpersonal relations, Glen puts her healthiest foot forward. In her work as a licensed clinical social worker, licensed massage therapist, and the executive director of G. Alex Foundation, Glen makes overall health the primary focus of her endeavors because of her lifelong belief in health as the ticket to personal empowerment and growth, connection to God, and connection to joy.
Health became a passion for Glen early on. The first inkling she had about health was in personal relationships.
As a child, it began with watching the people around her interact. The youngest of ten children, seven girls and three boys, Glen learned a lot from observing how others behaved. She was very attentive to the nuances and dynamics of the person-to-person interactions and the environment around her. She absorbed meanings not apparent to the naked eye or the physical senses. Witnessing the relational dynamics among family members, friends, teachers, store clerks, etc. captivated Glen as only great entertainment can and clued her into the underlying information contained in interpersonal interactions.
She witnessed exchanges that included hurtful words, pained expressions, tears, laughter, and warmth, all of which communicated to Glen what was good and what was not. At a very early age, Glen filtered her relational experiences and those she was privy to and categorized them. She determined as a child that deliberately negative interactions cause pain to others, and she decided not to emulate them. As she grew, developed, and learned, other aspects of health revealed themselves to her.
One time as a child, Glen was with her mother, waiting to be called for her doctor’s appointment. Somehow, she caught sight of a nurse demonstrating to a patient how to stick herself in the abdomen with a needle. Bewildered, she asked her mother what was going on. Glen’s mother explained that the person was diabetic and had to take insulin. What? Who wants to shoot themselves in the stomach? Completely grossed out, Glen decided then and there that she would never be diabetic. As a result of this conscious choice, Glen actively makes decisions today that minimize her risk of developing diabetes, which is part of her family medical history.
And so without being preachy or judgmental regarding anyone else’s lifestyle choices, Glen strives to spread health to others with pertinent information, opportunities to engage in physical activities, and access to health screenings to empower individuals to make conscious choices about their health.
Glen established the G. Alex Foundation with a mission to spread the message that health is vital to a happy and productive life. Glen also believes that health is a great portal to self-actualization.
The book is a great read as we start a new year.
For more information about Glen Alex, and see more about the book, visit her at: www.LivinginTotalHealth.com