May 20, 2008 3:51 PM GMT
I was just wondering who else in here views exercise as being more than just a physical practice? It's been a few days since i've seen anything metaphysical discussed in here lol.
Personally, for me, I look at my workouts and exercise a couple of ways- yes, on the surface, i do it all to look my best, better myself, and enjoy the multitudinous benefits of good health. But even more importantly, I approach it all from mental and spiritual angles. I've spent a lot of time and energy studying the esotericism of the West, and am starting to look at and integrate the mysticism of the East, to give some background on my ideas.
mentally, it allows me to live in the moment, as in yogic practice. concentration on what one's doing, feeling, experiencing- not thinking about the future or the past or of the plethoric distractions that pull us away from ourselves all day long, but simply listening to my body and using the repetition of my actions, the sensations they illicit, the reactions of my body to the stresses put upon it, the manipulation of energies within myself, in order to live wholly in the present, if only briefly. In this way, I can at least partially still my mind, or at least digest everything that's been whirling through my life lately. when i leave the gym, i feel centered and purged and calm with the energy i've raised and channeled.
beyond even this meditative calm that I pursue in the gym, there're spiritual implications and benefits to be had. I see the evolution and bettering of my body as a practice in building and sculpting a temple worthy of the spirit within. 'that which is above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which is above, in the creation of the one thing,' says the emerald tablet- its an ancient and cross-cultural acknowledgement that the microcosm and macrocosm (self and universe, ego and divinity, multiplicity and unity) are reflections of each other, ad infinum; that just as a small part of a hologram contains the entire image within itself, so we, being 'created in the image of god,' are not only infinitesimal parts of the universal whole, but are manifestations of that whole in its entirety. the body is a manifestation or crudely magnificent vehicle of the ego or self, which is a lifeless and surreal reflection of the soul, which is in turn everything and nothing- Sat Chit Ananda. what you can access in the deeper parts of your being can be reflected or refracted outward, but equally so, what is done on the surface-most level of your being (if its done with an understanding of what you're doing) can be turned inward and sanctified; used as the tool it truly is. I have a lot more to say on this, but i think this should be enough to generate discussion for now lol.
many become addicted to bettering one's body in order to assuage one's insecurities or to boost confidence or to worship the self- in effect fortifying the ego, and this is to the detriment of the soul underneath, which one is ignoring in favor of an inflated or deflated sense of self. some, alternatively, focus on the pursuit of the divine and let their bodies wither or bloat, as the case may be, having little respect for worldly things and matter. but i think the best thing of all is to marry the two, as its perhaps meant to be- a beautiful union of matter and spirit, connected together at the point of an ego that one recognizes for the illusion it truly is. health and well being should be reflected back and forth between the upper and lower; the inner and outer. I'm just curious what other takes people may have on this, based on varying spiritual backgrounds and beliefs, value systems, personal perspectives, etc.
Personally, for me, I look at my workouts and exercise a couple of ways- yes, on the surface, i do it all to look my best, better myself, and enjoy the multitudinous benefits of good health. But even more importantly, I approach it all from mental and spiritual angles. I've spent a lot of time and energy studying the esotericism of the West, and am starting to look at and integrate the mysticism of the East, to give some background on my ideas.
mentally, it allows me to live in the moment, as in yogic practice. concentration on what one's doing, feeling, experiencing- not thinking about the future or the past or of the plethoric distractions that pull us away from ourselves all day long, but simply listening to my body and using the repetition of my actions, the sensations they illicit, the reactions of my body to the stresses put upon it, the manipulation of energies within myself, in order to live wholly in the present, if only briefly. In this way, I can at least partially still my mind, or at least digest everything that's been whirling through my life lately. when i leave the gym, i feel centered and purged and calm with the energy i've raised and channeled.
beyond even this meditative calm that I pursue in the gym, there're spiritual implications and benefits to be had. I see the evolution and bettering of my body as a practice in building and sculpting a temple worthy of the spirit within. 'that which is above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which is above, in the creation of the one thing,' says the emerald tablet- its an ancient and cross-cultural acknowledgement that the microcosm and macrocosm (self and universe, ego and divinity, multiplicity and unity) are reflections of each other, ad infinum; that just as a small part of a hologram contains the entire image within itself, so we, being 'created in the image of god,' are not only infinitesimal parts of the universal whole, but are manifestations of that whole in its entirety. the body is a manifestation or crudely magnificent vehicle of the ego or self, which is a lifeless and surreal reflection of the soul, which is in turn everything and nothing- Sat Chit Ananda. what you can access in the deeper parts of your being can be reflected or refracted outward, but equally so, what is done on the surface-most level of your being (if its done with an understanding of what you're doing) can be turned inward and sanctified; used as the tool it truly is. I have a lot more to say on this, but i think this should be enough to generate discussion for now lol.
many become addicted to bettering one's body in order to assuage one's insecurities or to boost confidence or to worship the self- in effect fortifying the ego, and this is to the detriment of the soul underneath, which one is ignoring in favor of an inflated or deflated sense of self. some, alternatively, focus on the pursuit of the divine and let their bodies wither or bloat, as the case may be, having little respect for worldly things and matter. but i think the best thing of all is to marry the two, as its perhaps meant to be- a beautiful union of matter and spirit, connected together at the point of an ego that one recognizes for the illusion it truly is. health and well being should be reflected back and forth between the upper and lower; the inner and outer. I'm just curious what other takes people may have on this, based on varying spiritual backgrounds and beliefs, value systems, personal perspectives, etc.
