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We are continuing our All is Well series with Ameerah Omar. Ameerah is a Life Coach and Change Agent Strategist and heads up her company Ascend 360. She has a deep well of wellness wisdom and I am so excited to share Ameerah’s modern and grounded take on wellness! Enjoy!

In this day and age there are a lot of definitions to wellness. I believe that it’s composed of three elements. Physical, Mental, and Social health. Each intertwined with the next. Co-existing to make a whole. This is what that looks like to me.

Every day…
I have two daily rituals.
The first is a cup of warm water with lemon. Typically taken before I shower and on an empty stomach to receive the full benefits. Flushing the digestive system, eliminating toxins, balancing pH levels, reducing inflammation and most important hydration. It also helps to activate internal organs and get my body going after 6+ hours of rest.

The second, is rose water spray. I’m not a make-up or beauty kind of girl, usually going bare faced most days, so I feel like this was designed for me. The benefits include hydration, even skin tone, tighter pores, and a natural glow. It also smells really good and you can spray it on all day long.
Pro-tip: It’s great for setting make-up, if that’s your jam. And to all my guys out there, it’s gender neutral so everyone can benefit from its glory.

Meditation is my next must have for the day. Whether it’s a quick 5- 10 minutes of deep breathing exercises or a longer guided session there is nothing like silencing the chaos and centering myself. My go-tos are Headspace and the Oprah & Deepak apps. As a life coach, I take in a lot of information on a daily basis and coupled with living in New York City, sensory overload is a very real thing. So, I make sure to steal a small portion of personal time every day in order to better serve myself and my clients.

Music is another outlet I can’t live without. It’s almost like my version of coffee. I’m a tea drinker, so it’s my instant pick me up. It sets the tone for my day and the spectrum ranges. A few friends recently started dropping a monthly playlist on Spotify, Bedford Corners, and it’s one of the best things out there.

Every week…
I run; to connect with myself and build on elements of personal development. Tuesday night’s specifically, you can catch me with Girls Run NYC at McCarren Park track or on the Williamsburg bridge. My relationship with running started several decades ago and it’s one thing that keeps getting better and better with time. Originally, its purpose was all physical and numbers based, but today it’s become so much more in the way of mental and social wellness. As a Co- Captain of an all-women’s collective, it is our mission to create a safe and empowering space for women to gather, work together, and ultimately build themselves up through the sport of running. There’s something incredible to be said for sharing positive energy with others free of judgment or intimidation.

Additionally, Every Sunday I buy myself flowers. The point here is to treat myself to something I love and I LOVE plants. Just seeing them makes me intrinsically happy so having them in my home is a beautiful reminder to smile, and stop to smell the roses.

No week is complete without journaling. It goes hand in hand with meditation, helping me to release a lot of the energy I have picked up on the outside. The great thing about it is that there are no rules and you don’t have to be a “writer” to do it. Journaling looks different to each and every person and that is what’s beautiful about the process. Somedays I simply jot down a to-do list and on the flip side there could be a 5 page entry. It really just depends on my mood.

Every Month…
Once a month I gather with a specific group of friends for Dinner at a restaurant none of us have been to. We call it “dinner club”. It’s a great way to stay connected, catch up, explore the neighborhood and try something new (something I strive to do as frequently as possible).

Creative expression is another wellness key for me so I’ve dedicated myself to exploring the arts more each month. Museum visits, sketching sessions, dance class, wine tasting and anything else along those lines. It’s fun to just get lost and tap into different spaces that are outside of the norm.

Finally, I treat myself to a movie date. There is something very different about taking in a movie solo vs. sharing the energy with another person or group. If you haven’t ever done it I highly suggest you give it a try. Vulnerability at an all-time high and emotions running wild and free. Sounds super scary I know, but it’s amazing what your conscience allows you to do when it thinks no one else is watching.

Every Year…
I start each New Year with dry January. I’ve gone as long as 3 months in the past, but January is the minimum. Although I’m only a social drinker, it’s nice to begin the year with the challenge of having given something up. Sharpening my discipline practice and cleansing my body at the same time. A feel good moment if you will. Setting the tone for accomplishment and success the whole year through.

Lastly, I make sure to travel once a year on a solo trip. I always say you never truly know someone until you travel with them or live with them. Traveling solo has introduced me to parts of myself I never knew existed. Some beautiful and others not so much, but all of them 100% authentically me. It is from here that I have learned some of my greatest life lessons in patience, resilience, responsibility, and self-love. The list continues to grow with each trip and who doesn’t love a good vacation.