by jarod on July 11, 2010
Our bodies are a design of biological perfection, we are made of skeleton, muscle, nerves, organs and a cocktail of biochemical complexity that fuels our actions, thoughts, meaning and emotions, once you stop and think about it, our body is our soul.
I am fascinated by the intrinsic, fragile and gloriously complex human form, as a wellness coach I train individuals to push through their limits of physical strength and endurance, this increases heart rate, burns calories, oxygenates the body, and stimulates positive hormone production which ultimately allows a body to grow and change it’s shape, what a marvel!!
We have within our bodies a series of stunning systems within systems, you could say that it is like the universe itself, most of these systems are observable, and as such can be measured, studied, and understood. Our modern medical and scientific understandings have given our civilisation new ways to heal, longevity of life, and in many circumstances saved us from an early death (this is the reason I love scientific reductionists, good work!).
And yet, within this rational scientific body lives our consciousness, the mind,the thing that fills our life with creative awareness, allows our dreams to flow and goes beyond the measurable and observed as it’s subtleties are so fine, like dew upon a spiders web.
The human brain is still not yet fully understood, it houses our body systems like the hard drive of a computer, constantly reading data, firing off thoughts, telling the body to breathe, calibrating movement, and computing every single action. I like to think of our brain as being the antennae to our physical world and the receptor to our soul connection, it is the divine creation to new worlds of possibility, and ancient traditional beliefs alike.
Soul is found on the dance floor as music vibrates through our being and makes you wanna move, it’s heard as song that caresses your ears and heart with it’s tone and poetry. Spirit is heightened when we gather together as family and celebrate a specific ritual or quite simply watching the World Cup. Art is spirituality in observable form, our minds connect with an interpretation of feeling or thought, the brain processes what it sees and hears, our higher self connects with the intangible beauty of truthful perfection.
I know through a daily routine of eating well, regular exercise, meditating, and staying updated with the latest scientific discoveries, plus your participation of maintaining a regular spiritual practice, that your body/soul unison will be beautifully and healthily realised. Trust that your life experience is both physical and meta physical, and those smiles will last all day long.
There’s a time to play and a time to pray, a time to celebrate and a time to meditate, what time you have, make the most of it.
Being an old party boy, old in relative terms, I know the pressure of staying clear and focused while still having fun at the same time. Creating a healthy balance between work, leisure, staying connected to friends and family, realising some of the dreams that must be lived, plus taking the time out to dance and release can be a true strain on the body and mind, and yet, with clear boundaries around health and wellbeing it’s all about living life to the fullest.
Prayer seems to be a nasty word these days, at least in the “educated” west, I also like to use the words meditation and affirmation as these break away from any religious prejudices that some people may have. Without being caught up in semantics, the point is, we all need to take some time out every day and make the connection to our higher self. It only takes a few minutes to stop, breathe and relax, to allow our breathe to ease into the body without a rush of thoughts, and if you’re active, to stop the madness of moving around like a kid high on candy.
Affirmations are created by using your very own words, tell a little tale of positivity and yumminess, write it down, whatever the wish or script is, believe what you are saying, look at it every day, make it real, affirmations work.
Play is where we get to laugh, be free, entertain in the way that you so choose, crank up the stereo, have a glass of wine (or two), go to the disco, run, hang out on a bean bag and watch that fav film, eat all of those chocolates and chips that you haven’t been storing in your cupboards. Sitting back and relaxing is so integral to a healthy human.
Meditation has helped me resolve some serious “car crash” like issues, slowing down the breathe, depositing all of those random thoughts into the ocean of calm and connection, your peaceful truth. There are so many schools of practice, we live in a fab time of access to whatever path you may choose to follow, my current “Nam- myoho- renge- kyo” has been a soothing ointment.
Celebration is to be had with self, family, friends and strangers alike. Try and find that great balance between, playing and praying, you are guaranteed more quality time in your day and life.
by jarod on June 30, 2010
As I was cycling home under the golden rays of sunshine I was amused by a road sign stating an adverse camber ahead, my humour at the various warning signs to life, a common announcement on London roads and anything public, quickly dissipated as I sensed how easy it is for all of us to get off track with our desires, wishes and goals, better to read the signs, than plunge into oncoming traffic unwittingly.
Developing your intuition and trusting your gut is one of the great advantages that clarity brings to a busy mind.
In fact, our gut is wired by the enteric nervous system, a neural feedback system that has been reported as being as important as the fine network in our brain, it houses a complex of biochemical releases which stimulate digestion, muscular motions, and dare I say, emotions too. You know that funny feeling that happens in your stomach, that’s the enteric nervous system in action, try reading the emotions or feelings arising when the gut instinct occurs and relate that to your thoughts, and the space that you are in, as your body is speaking it’s truth very clearly.
Sometimes our decisions are created by the random actions of a life experience which forces us off course, our vehicle no longer heads to our desired location, the immediate response is to realign that steering wheel and keep a steady pace. Knowing that you have the strength, focus and skill to follow through is truly beneficial, this knowledge gives you the ability to navigate through the terrain of life with the deft hand of a race car driver.
Lookout for the signs ahead, your body speaks to you every day, how does it feel, is it rested, is it anxious, is it safe, is it ready to go? Read your gut in relation to these questions as it will tell you exactly where you are and what may be ahead. Being prepared for those adverse cambers initiates corner taking with pleasure and ease, I love accelerating on the bend!
