ldy_solana
Cathlete
http://www.kristi-trinity.com/reflections.html
Fitness as a Spiritual Practice
The idea of using fitness as a means to attain greater spiritual understanding may seem like a strange concept to some. After years of what would appear to be neglect of the body in favour of reaching a higher realm, the concept of embracing the body and training hard physically may come across as some what narcissistic.
In the quest for enlightenment (in times past as well as present) spiritual aspirants and devotees are recognised for transcending and disassociating themselves from the body idea. From a spiritual perspective, it's often viewed that the more detached from the body and its urges a person can become, the more ‘spiritual’ they are considered to be. Spiritual endeavours were, and still are, very much a form of denial and recluse in which it is/was encouraged to leave all worldliness behind; including thoughts and cares of the body, of appropriate exercise and conscious nutrition.
As Steve Ilg, creator of Wholistic Fitness® writes in his recent book ‘Total Body Transformation’ (Hyperion 2005), “We go to church to do our “spiritual fitness” and we go to the gym or lace up our running shoes to do our “physical fitness.” We’ve not put a lot of effort into linking the two”. There seems to be no honoring of the connection of body to spirit in today’s Western society.
Personally, I feel that we are incarnated into a body and into this world for a reason. I do not feel that this reason is to ignore it; disassociating from the body we are in and the surroundings in which we are placed. To me, it makes a lot more sense to appreciate what we have been given and respect the body/spirit connection with a deeper embrace. An embrace of ones Self and the world we find that Self in; to acknowledge our ‘beingness’ and move and learn from that source of experience to attain the greater spiritual understanding we seek.
Living in the World
Let’s think about this for a moment; where are we living? Where are the most lessons to be learned? Are we not living here in the body, learning lessons every day from the world around us? From feelings, thoughts and circumstances that arise? What can we really gain from withdrawing ourselves from the Divine within, and around us? What’s to be achieved through dissociating ourselves from the body, this vehicle that we have been given to explore the (inner and outer) world with?
Is separating oneself from the body, from exercise discipline and conscious nutrition the most appropriate Path to Enlightenment? Of course full blown attachment to the physical Self is not desired either yet is complete detachment the answer? Is it truly best to deny the outer world and our current incarnation till we are so out of touch with our bodies it no longer matters? Continue to reach for that bag of potato chips and watch TV all night instead of going for a walk, believing that if we are spiritual enough in the mind that we cannot be effected in the body by such actions?
It sounds like a silly idea, yet it’s what many of us seem to do. 'Try' to deny the body and its functions as a means to bring about enlightenment; attempt to transcend the body in such a way hoping to reach this spiritual ideal. Forgoing the effort to bring about this balance of body surely takes its toll on the spirit, on the mind, and certainly the quest for enlightenment as a result. Surely if we ignore a thing long enough it will eventually come around and bite us in the butt, “hello, I’m here, remember me!?” With the current state of our nation’s health and overloaded medical system, I think there is a lot of butt biting going on!
Entering the Body
When using the body as a tool for growth, as a means to move through metaphysical challenges, physical lessons are learned and realised and a broader perspective is gained as we open up to new possibilities and insights. The enlightenment that comes from working consciously with and with-in the body is profound. As a teacher of Hatha Yoga I experience and teach these things daily. I see the shifts from the physical to spiritual happen in myself and my students regularly and am always in awe of the power they hold.
Despite common (mis)perception Yoga, first and foremost, is a Spiritual practice and one of the original forms of body/mind training. Practicing Yoga asana (physical postures) is a means in which we are able to bring the body and mind into focus; through this process we can begin to let go of thoughts and worries of the day bringing ourselves completely into the moment at hand. We face whatever comes up, as it comes up, with awareness and work through it as needed; be it physical limitations, mental blocks or emotional releases. Over time, as there becomes less and less to work with, the mind becomes clearer of the daily drama and our true nature is begins to shine through. It's there, in that space, where we are able to experience some level of enlightenment.
These insights are not only isolated to Yoga practice. They can be translated into any fitness discipline and are achieved by stepping into the body; by using fitness as a Spiritual Practice. Whether it’s stretching on the mat, training at the gym or running in nature, all of these practices can be used to tap into a deeper spiritual awareness and offer a means to bring the practitioner closer to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.
Practice In Action
When I run through the park hearing only the sound of my breath moving in and out of my body, connecting me with nature and the people moving around me, I remember where I came from and the reasons why I’m here. I run so hard I exhaust myself and there is no-thing left but my breath, my surroundings and the higher power that creates and rules these things.
When I train at the gym, pushing my boundaries, lifting more consciously with each set, I am brought directly into the moment. I experience breakthroughs on a physical level which often translate into mental and spiritual breakthroughs. I find an inner power that I can carry through into my every day existence; a drive that I am able to use in other areas of my life.
Nurturing my body with proper nutrition choices (including sunrider® herbs) and respect for the foods I consume brings me closer to the source from whence they and I came. This respect I show myself and the environment that sources me translates into a much deeper respect for the spirit and beauty in all that is around me.
These things are my meditations, here in lays my practice, this is my Path. I choose to use my fitness as a way to move through the limitations of the physical body; to guide myself towards transcendence and experience drops of enlightenment along the way. My fitness takes me higher spiritually and my spirituality enhances my fitness, not only making it beneficial for my health, it is also awakening for my spirit.
The Choice is Yours
So I ask you, how do you want to know the Divine? How do you want to feel alive? In a body ill and dis-eased from poor food choices and a lack of exercise; or in a fit vibrant state where you are able to run around and scream enlightenment at the top of your lungs without losing your breath or getting cramp? Step into your body, awaken to your senses, listen to what it has to tell you and truly bring your Spiritual Practice to life.
kassia
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
Fitness as a Spiritual Practice
The idea of using fitness as a means to attain greater spiritual understanding may seem like a strange concept to some. After years of what would appear to be neglect of the body in favour of reaching a higher realm, the concept of embracing the body and training hard physically may come across as some what narcissistic.
In the quest for enlightenment (in times past as well as present) spiritual aspirants and devotees are recognised for transcending and disassociating themselves from the body idea. From a spiritual perspective, it's often viewed that the more detached from the body and its urges a person can become, the more ‘spiritual’ they are considered to be. Spiritual endeavours were, and still are, very much a form of denial and recluse in which it is/was encouraged to leave all worldliness behind; including thoughts and cares of the body, of appropriate exercise and conscious nutrition.
As Steve Ilg, creator of Wholistic Fitness® writes in his recent book ‘Total Body Transformation’ (Hyperion 2005), “We go to church to do our “spiritual fitness” and we go to the gym or lace up our running shoes to do our “physical fitness.” We’ve not put a lot of effort into linking the two”. There seems to be no honoring of the connection of body to spirit in today’s Western society.
Personally, I feel that we are incarnated into a body and into this world for a reason. I do not feel that this reason is to ignore it; disassociating from the body we are in and the surroundings in which we are placed. To me, it makes a lot more sense to appreciate what we have been given and respect the body/spirit connection with a deeper embrace. An embrace of ones Self and the world we find that Self in; to acknowledge our ‘beingness’ and move and learn from that source of experience to attain the greater spiritual understanding we seek.
Living in the World
Let’s think about this for a moment; where are we living? Where are the most lessons to be learned? Are we not living here in the body, learning lessons every day from the world around us? From feelings, thoughts and circumstances that arise? What can we really gain from withdrawing ourselves from the Divine within, and around us? What’s to be achieved through dissociating ourselves from the body, this vehicle that we have been given to explore the (inner and outer) world with?
Is separating oneself from the body, from exercise discipline and conscious nutrition the most appropriate Path to Enlightenment? Of course full blown attachment to the physical Self is not desired either yet is complete detachment the answer? Is it truly best to deny the outer world and our current incarnation till we are so out of touch with our bodies it no longer matters? Continue to reach for that bag of potato chips and watch TV all night instead of going for a walk, believing that if we are spiritual enough in the mind that we cannot be effected in the body by such actions?
It sounds like a silly idea, yet it’s what many of us seem to do. 'Try' to deny the body and its functions as a means to bring about enlightenment; attempt to transcend the body in such a way hoping to reach this spiritual ideal. Forgoing the effort to bring about this balance of body surely takes its toll on the spirit, on the mind, and certainly the quest for enlightenment as a result. Surely if we ignore a thing long enough it will eventually come around and bite us in the butt, “hello, I’m here, remember me!?” With the current state of our nation’s health and overloaded medical system, I think there is a lot of butt biting going on!
Entering the Body
When using the body as a tool for growth, as a means to move through metaphysical challenges, physical lessons are learned and realised and a broader perspective is gained as we open up to new possibilities and insights. The enlightenment that comes from working consciously with and with-in the body is profound. As a teacher of Hatha Yoga I experience and teach these things daily. I see the shifts from the physical to spiritual happen in myself and my students regularly and am always in awe of the power they hold.
Despite common (mis)perception Yoga, first and foremost, is a Spiritual practice and one of the original forms of body/mind training. Practicing Yoga asana (physical postures) is a means in which we are able to bring the body and mind into focus; through this process we can begin to let go of thoughts and worries of the day bringing ourselves completely into the moment at hand. We face whatever comes up, as it comes up, with awareness and work through it as needed; be it physical limitations, mental blocks or emotional releases. Over time, as there becomes less and less to work with, the mind becomes clearer of the daily drama and our true nature is begins to shine through. It's there, in that space, where we are able to experience some level of enlightenment.
These insights are not only isolated to Yoga practice. They can be translated into any fitness discipline and are achieved by stepping into the body; by using fitness as a Spiritual Practice. Whether it’s stretching on the mat, training at the gym or running in nature, all of these practices can be used to tap into a deeper spiritual awareness and offer a means to bring the practitioner closer to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.
Practice In Action
When I run through the park hearing only the sound of my breath moving in and out of my body, connecting me with nature and the people moving around me, I remember where I came from and the reasons why I’m here. I run so hard I exhaust myself and there is no-thing left but my breath, my surroundings and the higher power that creates and rules these things.
When I train at the gym, pushing my boundaries, lifting more consciously with each set, I am brought directly into the moment. I experience breakthroughs on a physical level which often translate into mental and spiritual breakthroughs. I find an inner power that I can carry through into my every day existence; a drive that I am able to use in other areas of my life.
Nurturing my body with proper nutrition choices (including sunrider® herbs) and respect for the foods I consume brings me closer to the source from whence they and I came. This respect I show myself and the environment that sources me translates into a much deeper respect for the spirit and beauty in all that is around me.
These things are my meditations, here in lays my practice, this is my Path. I choose to use my fitness as a way to move through the limitations of the physical body; to guide myself towards transcendence and experience drops of enlightenment along the way. My fitness takes me higher spiritually and my spirituality enhances my fitness, not only making it beneficial for my health, it is also awakening for my spirit.
The Choice is Yours
So I ask you, how do you want to know the Divine? How do you want to feel alive? In a body ill and dis-eased from poor food choices and a lack of exercise; or in a fit vibrant state where you are able to run around and scream enlightenment at the top of your lungs without losing your breath or getting cramp? Step into your body, awaken to your senses, listen to what it has to tell you and truly bring your Spiritual Practice to life.
kassia
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
Reading it chokes me right up. It says some thing that I have thought and expressed to a few people and gives me so much new to think about. Many may not be able to relate but I often think of my workouts as a prayer of thanks for the ability to explore and challenge my body in these ways. I am moved by the knowledge that by expending energy when I work out, I ultimately have more energy to give my family and the world in general. Working out makes me a better person. Active meditation is where I go when my heart rate is through the roof and the endorphins flowing. Thanks again for posting this Kassia, I'm saving this one.
