My resistance to exercise didn’t come from laziness or fear of being ridiculed; instead it came from a sense of dis-ease. I had a really hard time slowing down, being present, feeling my body. For so long, my consciousness stayed outside my body, like I withheld myself from my body. Somehow, enjoying the feel of my physical form, claiming every inch of me, made my skin crawl. The only way I could exercise was to meditate, and the only way I could meditate was to exercise. For me, there was a spiritual aspect to actually being in my body.
I finally get it. For me, one who has avoided the presence of my own body for most my life, exercise is a spiritual practice. I must exercise not because it is good for my body, but rather because it is good for my soul. By practicing connection to my own body, I’m practicing connection to my higher power. By becoming aware of my own center, I’m practicing a quiet mind. By being in my body, I’m being in the now.
All my life, I tried to make exercise about the physical. For me, it just isn’t. It is about my connection to myself, the world around me, and mostly, my higher power.
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