Mindbody Fitness, Spirit and Soul
As we expand our vision beyond the confines of a view
that imagines fitness in body-only terms, we begin to
see how narrow and superficial such a view is. First
of all, we now know that the body does not exist independently
from the mind—the mind and the body are an interdependent
unit—the mindbody. The Ancient Greeks knew this
very well—their fitness training aimed for deep
mindbody harmony and balance.
Training regularly for marathon will enable you to
actualize your potential to run 26 miles. In the same
way, proper mindbody fitness training can empower you
to develop inner fitness potentials, including developing
both spirit and soul.
We cannot see what we don't have eyes for. Mindbody
Synchrony is more than the sum of its parts—it
can open special faculties of perception. Mindbody Synchrony
is a stable mindbody connection based on the self-regulated
interaction between mind and body, a self-regulated
interaction in which mind and body enjoy a refined,
responsive attunement to each another, an attunement
that gives rise to deeper levels of perception and Being.
Once our deeper levels of perception are activated,
we can see more deeply into who we are and into what
is. This encounter with experiential knowledge brings
wisdom. Having discovered this depth within us, we are
no longer confined to a conditioned identity that's
too small for who we truly are. We can then develop
our soul. We develop our soul by finding our genuine
signature and writing it all over our life, a life lived
on the open ocean as an adventure of depth and meaning.
We can train for the inner fitness needed to live with
greater clarity and conviction—from the inside
out.
When our mind connects to and becomes tuned to its
true nature, our body delights in being relieved of
the tense knots and heavy burdens of fear, self-doubt
and emotional confusion. Relief comes as well from an
inner thirst finally being quenched, from a deep longing
finally being satisfied.
To paraphrase Henry Corbin, the great scholar and student
of "inner fitness", we all feel deep inside as if we
are exiled and separated from our true home and our
people, a home and people we can barely remember. We
might even feel as if we're nuts and that possibly something
is wrong with us, because at times we feel haunted by
a longing for them. Then one day we hear a clear call
from a forgotten but nevertheless familiar voice calling
to us—it is our own voice calling us home to who
we are.
We can't ever hear our voice unless we can train our
mind to be aware and to enter the silence and stillness
that only comes about when our mindbody is synchronized
and in a state of inner balance.
In his book, the American Soul, Jacob Needleman discusses
the American Founding Fathers vision of life and of
freedom, a vision that is well aligned with the work
and the fruits of "inner fitness". Their vision was
to create a land where one could be free to dive deep
into life—without interference. Perhaps we have
lost the essential meaning of their labors because our
eyes have been closed to life's deepest possibilities. |
