We interviewed Dr. Kevin Preston on the connection between health and academic performance. We thought this topic would be helpful as a lot of people are struggling with being stuck inside due to COVID-19, a situation that can be taxing on mental, as well as physical health.

Dr. Kevin Preston is a Chinese Medicine Doctor who lives for creating health and vitality in others. He has been in practice for over a decade at his wellness clinic in Vernon, BC in which wellness is created through a multifaceted approach that balances the mind, body, and spirit. 

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Can you tell us about how meditation benefits one’s health, especially during COVID-19?

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Meditation often gets overlooked. Guided meditations can be really helpful. They give you a direction for the mind to follow. It’s a great place to begin until you get a little bit more practice and you add another minute, and then another and pretty soon you have a deeper focus. I do breath coaching in my practice. You can see when somebody walks in that they haven’t really breathed deeply that day or in months or maybe even years. Their whole system is so tense. You can imagine as a student if you’re not breathing deeply, because of the stress, you’re actually decreasing the amount of oxygen through your body.

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What are some lessons that students can borrow from Chinese medicine to create a more healing space?

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I spent quite a few years in school and there are times where you’re working and going to school and feels like you’re barely treading water. It’s taken all the energy you have to keep up. Those are the moments ironically, that you really need good health practices. Something that’s always been really healing for me is spending a lot of time in the outdoors. Mastering the energy in your body by practising meditation and proper breathing is something students can do cheaply or for free.

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What are your thoughts on how the current school environment interferes with students reaching optimal health?

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In that age bracket, I see this outside of the student population too, everybody’s so taxed and under a lot of strain. People take like less time off now than they used. I think that’s where a lot of anxiety comes from, and especially things like panic or foggy brain. So especially in academics, we’re asked to have our minds and our brains perform really well. I think it’s because we’re just straining our systems a lot and not necessarily supporting them enough.

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What are the first steps that someone could take on their wellness journey?

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Nutrition and hydration are the most important things. The right amount of water varies for each person. I juice and eat lots of green vegetables. Investing in nutrition upfront can prevent costs that come with future illness. Other than meditation and breathwork, Epsom or Himalayan salt foot soaks can be used for relaxation. Cold showers can help relax the nervous system too. Start with the last 30 seconds of your shower and gradually increase the time.

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Thank you, Kevin, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Book Mentioned in the Episode

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The Power of Habit by Charles Dunhigg

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