Faith and physical practice
How to Have a Faith-Fueled Body
A faith-fueled body is not a body that exempts itself from care. It is a body that takes care as a form of stewardship, the daily honor of the gift you were given.
By Dr. Stephen LaDuque, DDS · Dental Excellence Stephenville · 2025-09-15
Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, the world's wisdom traditions all teach that the body is a trust. Sleep is a discipline. Food is a discipline. Speech is a discipline. Rest is a discipline. None of it is incidental.
The dental practice happens to be one of the rooms where the discipline is visible. Worn teeth, recession, mouth breathing, weight gain, fatigue, these are the body's honest report card on whether daily disciplines are being kept.
A faith-fueled day
- Wake at the same time, no matter what.
- A few minutes of stillness before the phone.
- Water before coffee.
- Breath through the nose during the day.
- Eat slowly, ideally with others.
- Move without a workout schedule, walk, lift, garden, work.
- Sleep on time, six nights a week.
- A weekly Sabbath you keep on purpose.
Takeaway
Care of the body is a daily honor. The dental visit is one of the small disciplines that keeps the rest in working order.
The library
Read more from the Wellness Guide
Short, practical pieces on the daily disciplines that hold the body together. Authored by Dr. LaDuque and the Dental Excellence team.
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