Posts tagged health

We are our bodies.

Many yogis think otherwise.  The body is an illusion or an inferior form of being to be transcended.  But not me.  I’ve been trained from a tantric yoga tradition that both acknowledges and reveres the value of the body.  The body exists and informs our experience, and it is as much an expression of the divine as any other creation on this planet.  When it’s unwell, we are unwell, and vice versa.  The past two weeks have highlighted this fact tremendously.

I’ve been battling the flu for the past 10 days.  I’m mostly well, say 85%, but I still have a cough, sore throat and am tired.  Besides the illness symptoms, I haven’t practiced yoga or exercised, physical affection has been very limited, and my energy levels are low.  My moods and mental states are affected.  I’ve felt achy, irritable and sensitive.  However, as my health improves, I’m starting to feel more like myself.  Of course, I’m always myself, just not the self I most prefer to be.

Our life experiences are inextricably related to our physical bodies.  That is why I aim to take good care of mine.  I give it healthy fuel, put it into all sorts of positions and make it move for long periods at a time.  I want it to not just exist, but to perform optimally for as long as it can.  And when it is unwell, I give it the rest and care it needs, and I become even more grateful for all my body brings to my life when it is unable to give its all.  Because we are our bodies, and so much more.    

Taking Care of Ourselves

There is clearly nothing more important than our health.  Without it, we can not fully experience and enjoy all the beauty life offers.  That is why it never ceases to amaze me how low a priority we make taking care of ourselves. 

The most common excuses are time, energy and money.  We don’t have time to cook ourselves a meal or pack a lunch.  Our days are long and stressful, so we don’t get out and move.  It costs too much money to pay for exercise options or the more healthy food options available to us.  The sad reality, though, is that we are simply transferring the time, energy and money from staying healthy to healing our sickness and disease. 

I understand how hard it is, and for me, it takes a daily commitment and consistent effort to make more healthful choices.  It’s not about denying ourselves pleasures; Lord knows I love to indulge in margaritas and chips & guacamole.  Our indulgences should just be recognized as such and then balanced with a healthy choice.  Eat that piece of fruit instead of the sweet, go on a walk during your lunch break, take the stairs instead of the elevator.  The little choices add up, and before we know it, we’re making more choices that take care of ourselves. 

Yoga is a gift of health that I give to myself.  I did not do yoga for several years because of the cost, and then I shifted my perspective away from what it took from me to what I was getting in return.  It is challenging to take the 90 minutes for a class out of a long day, but I know how much better I feel mentally and emotionally, as well as physically, with a regular yoga practice.  Your gift of health may not be yoga, but whatever it is, it is necessary.  Give yourself something that celebrates the gift of your body, for it is the ultimate source of the joy you receive from life.