About
Lead Contributor and Founder: Helen Cloots, MPH, CN, RYT-200
Helen is a corporate wellness consultant and yoga instructor with a lifelong passion for wellness.
I often catch myself ending a conversation with a friend or colleague saying, “It’s all about balance.” Cliché? Maybe. True? Yes. I think that’s what draws me so much to the subject of wellness. Wellness is not just about being physically healthy and disease-free; it’s about so much more: mind-body alignment and stability, maximization of our potential, and of course, happiness.
I perform my best when my life is in balance and I’m happy. Work seems easier, relationships prosper and the world is more interesting and exciting. It sounds simple, but things are good when we’re well. And who doesn’t like that?
It seemed natural for me to write a blog about wellness. Not because I’m an expert, but because I’m an eternal student – asking questions and seeking answers – of wellness. My interests are broad. I’m fascinated by all aspects of wellness: preventive medicine, diet and exercise, spirituality, etc. While I work toward wellness, why not write about the things I find along the way? My goal is to use this blog as a message board: posting thought-provoking findings or ideas about health and wellness and maybe spurring some discussions.
A little about me: I’m the middle of three girls and grew up in a suburb of Houston, Texas. I was always active as a kid; I spent countless hours at the local dance studio and played junior varsity tennis in high school. I participated in endless extracurriculars – you name it, I did it – got good grades, and left for college determined to pursue medicine.
After my first year, I realized that my fascination with medicine was more about people and less about science, and I switched my major to sociology. I found a creative and physical outlet in modern dance, both performing and choreographing for my college’s dance company, and I started taking public health classes. I moved to New York City in 2005, completed my Master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in health policy in January 2007 and worked as a health benefits consultant for two years.
As many of us do when we begin our adult lives, I quickly found that money was tight, time fleeting, and things just not as easy as I’d imagined. Determined to live a happy life I’m proud of, I decided to focus my life and career on wellness. I currently live in San Diego and work as a workplace wellness consultant for a large healthcare provider. I just completed certifications in nutritional counseling and yoga, and I’m looking forward to using these passions in my professional life.
I’m still a work-in-progress. I constantly struggle to keep everything in balance: friends, work, play, fitness, money and yes, my sanity. But with a life of dreams ahead of me, I know this balancing act will only get more challenging (and hopefully more fun!) and I need to be present, engaged, and most of all, well to realize my full potential.”
-Helen
Oh my goodness, you so eloquently described my feelings. I am a personal trainer with a wellness coaching certificate but my life is what I am basing my beliefs. I lived an unhealthy life as a morbidly obese woman for 22 years. I have found on my journey the last six years that my mind is the battle ground and I am learning to change my thinking and it is showing on the outside. I look forward to following your blog. Ruthie
Ruthie – Thanks so much for commenting! I’m glad there are others like me who feel the same way! Let me know if you have any requests/ideas for posts or if you’d like to contribute something. I’m trying to post more often and have been thinking about having collaborators write too, so I’d love to post some of your stuff!
-Helen
It’s so wonderful to read your blog and see how well you truly are, Helen! I can only hope that more of our Rice graduates have this outlook on life. I also appreciate your tips and insights. I totally agree that we can be eternal students in the pursuit of wellbeing and it’s so great to learn from each other! I happened upon your post about the organic vending machines and I’m going to see if that might be an option for the Rice campus. Best of luck to you in your future pursuits!
Helen,
I agree with Emily, wow. Now that I’ve found your blog, I plan on being back daily to read.
thanks so much! i’m always open to post ideas and guest bloggers – so keep the comments coming
Hi Helen,
My name is John and I love your site! I always enjoy reading blogs dedicated to nutrition and making the most of life in terms of health.
I’m the webmaster of Healthy-Juicing.com and am building into an authority when it comes to juicing information. Is there any chance that you would be willing to put a link to my site in your blogroll? I think this would be a great way to provide more value to your visitors and enhance their browsing experience.
For example, you could simply add the link like this: Healthy Juicing
Also, today is a writing day and one goal is two write two guest posts, so I’ll see if I can come up with something that might suit your site. Should I post it here or send it to an email? I couldn’t find any contact details on your site.
Let me know what you think.
Hope you’re having a fantastic day.
Kind regards,
John
healthy-juicing.com
Hey John! Thanks so much! I would love to have you guest post. Please feel free to email me at balancingwellness@gmail.com. Happy Friday
I added your site to my blogroll – thanks!!