Movement helps us go with the flow. That’s key if you are looking to have a peaceful life.
“A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison.” ― Marcus Valerius Martialis
In order to have a truly peaceful life, you need to be in good health which includes your mind, body, and spirit. Today we are going to focus in a bit more on the body. A healthy body doesn’t mean you look like a model in a magazine, or that you are a pro athlete. A healthy body can come in a lot of different sizes, with all kinds of physical abilities.
When you have poor health, you can’t be your best self. You may feel sluggish, you may be in pain, or you just may be too tired to do anything. You must attend to your health before you can effectively attend to others. Please let me emphasize that I am not advocating any specific type of health care. You need to decide what is best for you and take care of your individual health needs. If you have a chronic condition, or any concerns about your health, please check with your treatment provider before starting any kind of physical movement or exercise.
As you are able, I encourage you to incorporate movement into your life. Move your body in the way you like best. Many people love to walk or run. Some like to dance, do Zumba, or Jazzercise. Several of my friends enjoy a challenging workout at the gym, and some have a home system set up. I, myself, prefer a combination of Hatha yoga, Laughter yoga, and cycling. Whatever method(s) you choose, be sure it is one you enjoy, are committed to, and can stick with.
If you are currently not physically active, I suggest you start off at an easy pace. If you jump right into something and your body is not ready, you risk the chance of injury. You will also probably be quite sore from waking up muscles that haven’t been used in a long time. When there is too much discomfort, it’s easy to just give up. I find people will stick with it longer if they ease into it and work up a bit at a time.
“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” – Buddha
It’s important to be open. Just because you don’t or haven’t ever, doesn’t mean you can’t. Everyone can do some form of physical movement. Start from where you are and build on that. If you are already very active, you may be fine right where you are. If you are someone who prefers to be more sedentary, then start out small and add a little every day until you are where you want to be.
As your body becomes stronger and more flexible, you will find other areas of your life doing the same. You will have a clearer mind, as the same endorphins that you make you feel great when you exercise have the added benefit of sharpening your focus. There have also been studies done showing that people who work out in a combination of aerobic and muscle conditioning have lowered depressive symptoms compared to those who did not exercise.
The Cleveland Clinic reported in 2019, “We know that physical exercise, and aerobic exercise in particular, is very beneficial for maintaining brain health, even in people who are at risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD),” says neuropsychologist Aaron Bonner-Jackson, PhD. “You can make a major difference in terms of how your body is functioning and, as a result, how your brain is functioning.”
When you brain is functioning better, you will have less stress in your life, and less stress equates to more peace.
Find your purpose – find your joy!
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Did you find a few more ideas of your own? If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments, and as always please reach out with your thoughts.
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