Once, my trainer challenged me by asking me to examine what importance I placed on my physical work vs. my other work. This brought me up short. I strive toward integration. As an intellectual, I have worked hard to be physical and emotional. Still, deep inside, I knew that I was failing to embrace my body fully. Workouts were still something “I made time for” rather than seeing as simply another necessary part of my spiritual life, my Goals, and my practice. I still thought that going to the gym was something I did before the rest of my day started, rather than something that contributed to the larger arc.
This challenge was a good example of why I often say that we all need teachers. Good teachers catch the blind spots we so assiduously avoid. I was still defaulting into “I should work out” because, deep down, it was not my first impulse. So, I ended up thinking that I needed to engage will and fight against sloth. But that is not the relation-ship I seek … I seek to listen to and ask my body what it truly needs ……… Not listening happens when habit takes over, and sometimes will becomes force…………engaging the body, at whatever level and ability we can…. is not something to be “fit in.” Self-care is soul care.
“The physical benefits of your yoga practice and workouts are just the beginning…” Joe Nowlan, Teacher, Trainer, Student