"Movement is the most underrated factor in quality of life"
-Ido Portal
Growing Pains
Growing up I was a terrible mover.
That is, unless you considered hand eye coordination, because I was a wiz at video games. And that was probably most of the problem. I would rather sit in a chair and play these awesome games than go outside to play in the real world. Part of the reason was that I wasn't good at those games, I didn't know how to move well, I was slow and clumsy.
So I opted to stay inside and play video games when I had the chance. Sitting is known to cause unhealthy muscles, so I just got worse, never really finding athleticism until after college. Once I started trail running I started to understand that my body was preventing me from moving properly, I had unresolved tension in my ankles, feet, legs, hips, and lungs to mention a few places.
Turning Point
Then one day on a hike I hit a certain state of consciousness where I could tell where the tension was, and easily resolve it(disclaimer: an entheogen may have been involved.) After meditating for a while, I got up and moved around, working out any tension in my legs, neck, and back. Everything felt free, moving was as simple as willing the movement. I didn't have to worry about limited range of motion or favoring certain muscles to avoid pain from muscles tightness.
Of course it was short lived, all the tension returned the next day, and I was sore and tired from pushing myself so hard.
Obsession
This spurred me to become a bit obsessed with consciousness. I truly feel that when I'm perceiving in a clear way I can quickly and easily heal my body. So I've been exploring with meditation. I'm slowly learning how to connect to my body, how to listen to it so that I can be healthy. I know there are plenty of methods out there, there's yoga, myofascial release, acupuncture, acupressure, all sorts of things. But the ease at which it takes place during moments of meditation is kind of astounding. I feel like it's a little secret or something and I'd like to understand it.
“The relationship between body, mind, and spirit is that the body reflects what is held in mind, which in turn reflects one’s spiritual position. It is necessary to know where all human experience takes place because if we address that level, we will be addressing the most powerful level. If the physical is the consequence of the mental, and the mental is the consequence of the spiritual, then we need to address it in the area called consciousness. Clinically, this is true. People who address the level of consciousness itself may even witness transformation in their bodies with out even having to address the body directly with any medical approach.”
-David R. Hawkins, Healing and Recovery
This quote by David Hawkins really sums up the concept of what is happening pretty well. It seems to me, through my own experiences, that consciousness and thought play a much larger role in the physical world than I used to believe. No one really talks about that unless it's in spiritual circles, and I'm not sure why.
Body language is important, and it's such a simple thing that I think we forget about while we're stuck in our thoughts. I'm not even talking about reading someone else's body language, I'm talking about listening to your own body, hearing it's gripes and pains. Letting all the feelings in so we get a clear picture of what's going on with us.
Once we free our bodies up to move, we can truly express in a spontaneous and fun way. That's why I talk about massage tools and yoga and meditation, they're all linked to me. I'm trying to heal every part of myself, whether physical , emotional, or mental, and so far the results have been subtly extraordinary.
Have you ever felt a moment of clarity or felt that you were truly free to act physically? What methods do you use to heal, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to upvote, resteem, and follow me, @jakeybrown :)