September has been a busy month for the Early Detection Program here at CHC! We have been keeping active participating in a variety of outreach events and are excited to have such a large number of people continuing to enroll in our program. This morning I was at one of our program’s outreach sites, Master’s Manna Food Pantry in Wallingford, CT. It was incredible to hear the stories of people who had already fought  life-threatening diseases, such as cancer. People were eager to sign up for screening services through the Early Detection Program, in order to avoid revisiting past circumstances involving poor health and the battle of fighting disease.

My head has been spinning since this past weekend. You see, over the weekend I attended the 2011 Natural Living Expo in Sturbridge, MA. I booked a hotel room at the same hotel where the event was being held and in between my volunteer shifts, I had the opportunity to attend a variety of speaker sessions and browse several rooms full of vendors and educational information on mental health, physical health, spiritual health and nutrition. People from all walks of life gathered to learn about how to get healthy and stay healthy.

Driving home I thought to myself, “Why is it that people wait to get so sick before they start paying attention to the body?” Again, as an AmeriCorps member, I am happy to be a part of the Early Detection Program because I think that it is vital to detect illness early. By respecting your body and acknowledging basic screening protocols to ensure early detection, you are ensuring your safety and vitality in regard to your health.

This week I hope that everyone takes a moment out of each day to show gratitude to the body and its amazing capacity to keep on going regardless of how active we are in the role of helping our bodies maintain an optimal state of health and healing. Take a load off and thank your body by going for a walk, taking an afternoon siesta, or indulging in that long, hot evening bath. Rejuvenate. Relax. Revitalize.