Now who would put the words gym and soul together? I know I certainly never would… that was until last week.
Last week was the first time I have been to a gym to do weight training in over 20 years. I have been exercising regularly over the past couple of years; cardio, walking, hand weights, stretching, connective tissue exercises, but I hadn’t yet ventured to the gym. The idea of a trip to the gym always seemed ‘a bit too hard’. Not being sure of where to go or what to do, going to the gym went on the ‘some day’ list.
I have been staying with some friends who offered to assist me to get friendly once again with the ins and outs of the gym. I eagerly took up the offer – my ‘some day’ had finally arrived.
I trained regularly at the gym when I was a student at University, doing weights and classes 4 – 5 times a week. At the time I wasn’t aware, but the main focus of going to the gym was to improve my body image and to offer myself relief from feeling the depths of disregard I was living in. Working hard at the gym offered me an opportunity to numb out even more so as not to feel the underlying stress and sadness that was really there in my body that I was choosing to ignore. The gym gave me a momentary high and a relief from feeling where I really was at.
I was a heavy drinker and my diet, well, that was something to be sneezed at. It consisted of fatty foods from the University cafeteria with minimal vegetables apart from lots of potatoes. So to keep me in shape I would spend hours pumping iron, increasing my cardio levels striving for the perfect figure, to feel good about myself, to bury my lack of self-worth and to not feel the pain of how I was living at the time, which included late nights of partying with copious amounts of alcohol, long hours working in pubs and restaurants as well as studying full-time.
I didn’t like myself very much although I would never have admitted it at the time. Going to the gym was a way of pushing my body hard so I wouldn’t have to feel the hurt of the un-dealt with issues that I was still carrying from my childhood.
Fast forward twenty years, I am now, thanks to Universal Medicine and The Way of The Livingness, living my life where I take good care of myself. I go to bed early, I rest when I need to, I eat in a way that supports my body and I no longer drink alcohol, eat sugar or have caffeine. I work on dealing with my issues when they arise rather than burying them and I am open in my relationships. Generally I feel pretty awesome, a far cry from how I felt back in those University days.
I have recently had an inclination that there was more I could be doing to support my body. I had been feeling that I had developed a certain level of connection of my mind being with my body (conscious presence) in my exercise and daily activities, however, at times there was still a sense of this sometimes being a bit soft in my body. I had a sense that weight training may support me in this next stage of development but what I didn’t realise is just HOW supportive this was going to be.
So last week, as I sat on the weights machine for the first time in 20 years, the thought dropped in, “the body is the vehicle to house the soul” and in every ounce of my being I felt that my purpose for being there at the gym was to strengthen my body, knowing full well that my body is not the end result but is a means to access the soul.
There are certain qualities that I have been focusing on over several years such as being gentle and tender, but what I feel has been missing is the power and the strength. My first session at the gym revealed to me the opportunity to deeply connect with feeling the physicality of my body with the machine weights. I connected with my body through feeling every muscle that I worked, choosing to lift them in a way that honored the whole of my body, all the while being aware of breathing gently.
I enjoyed working my muscles, feeling their strength, feeling which muscles lengthened and which ones contracted.
It felt super joyful and powerful to claim my body, not because I wanted to look better but because my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul and the light that I innately am. If the soul is love, truth, harmony, stillness and joy – which it is – it cannot reside in a body that does not reflect these qualities.
So it became apparent to me on that day last week at the gym, that we can use the body in two different ways.
We can use the body as a means to give us temporary relief, to make us feel better for a short time to relieve the pain and hurt of what may be undercurrent in our lives most of the time OR we can work with the body to build a body of love, a body that is strong, gentle, tender, precious and powerful, with no holding back so that we can express fully who we are.
My trip to the gym confirmed the latter.
I am now planning to incorporate the gym as part of my weekly routine as a way to deepen my connection with my body in a way that I have been missing, which is building strength so that I can express more fully the inner strength that innately resides within me and equally within us all.
The body is the vehicle to house the soul.
This article is inspired by Serge Benhayon and the work of Universal Medicine.
By Donna Gianniotis, Yoga/Meditation, Esoteric Therapies Practitioner, Sydney, Australia
Further Reading:
Can We Access The Divine Through the Body?
Vitality versus Fitness
Exercise and My Body
713 Comments
I love exercise for the very reasons you talk about Donna it brings a closer connection with my body and an understanding that what I am building is a body to en-house my soul…no longer is it just to feel or look good. The stronger my body is and the more awareness I bring to how I move when I exercise helps me through the day, it is a whole different way of looking at exercise and going to the gym.
The stronger the body the greater the awareness, brilliant Alison. Given the states of many bodies today it would be a safe bet to assume that many do not want to increase their awareness but to in fact numb it. Not surprising given the state of the world, yet till we feel it we will not be inspired to do anything about it.
Donna, I can feel the absolute power in your writing. Your clarity is super inspiring. Anyone stumbling across your blog will either feel repelled and run in the other direction, or heave a sigh of relief and embrace it.
Gorgeous to read Donna. I loved this bit “the body is the vehicle to house the soul” a super great reminder and inspiration to love your body. and an incentive not to abuse it… as it is apart of god.
Beautiful comment Emily, to not abuse our body because it is a part of God. Feeling I am part of God brings this feeling of responsibility to deeply care and love and hold my body oh so delicately.
Beautiful Emily and Lieke, by holding the awareness of this truth it would not be possible to thrash our bodies about in exercise or under any movements.
So true – and here it is key again to hold that awareness all of the time, whether in the gym or out and about or even how we move around in general.
I can relate to your words here Donna, ‘sometimes being a bit soft in my body’. I have been feeling the same lately as I havent’ been to a gym for at least 26 years, as I too was a frequent gym visitor, but lately I have been feeling to strengthen my body with weights and more gentle exercise, as part of an overall focus on my body, so thank-you for the inspiration to go forth with this.
Me too Julie. I sit down a lot in front of a computer at work and at home as well and quite often miss out on going for my morning walk so have been feeling a bit soft in my body. This blog is exactly what I needed!
I can do that too Tamara, get caught up a bit in the work on the computer, I spend a lot of time there too as it is my main work station. My body will let me know, I find myself shifting around on the chair, becoming unsettled and know – ah time for a lovely walk – and so I go and walk with myself, and it feels awesome and work after feels a lot more in the flow again.
So true Julie, perhaps we can look at exercise as a way to support us for what we need to to in life rather than a chore trying to maintain a certain weight or body image.
Donna, this is a great article, I also used to go to the gym as a student, my reasons were to look good, i had such a deep self loathing at the time and wanted to ‘improve myself’ in some way, i pushed my body hard and could not keep it up, i was put off going to the gym as it felt so physically hard, but reading your article i can feel how there is a loving, joyful way to be at the gym and I love what you wrote here, ‘building strength so that I can express more fully the inner strength that innately resides within me and equally within us all.’
Thank you Donna for highlighting the fact that ‘The body is the vehicle to house the soul.’ And also for the fact for the soul to be embodied our body has to be be strong and powerful as well as fragile and delicate.
Great article Donna, this shows that we cannot ignore our body if we want to evolve further. It makes so much sense that we have to build our body with strength to hold the light of the soul – the light that is innately in everyone. “If the soul is love, truth, harmony, stillness and joy – which it is – it cannot reside in a body that does not reflect these qualities.”
Yes Monika, the body is a crucial part in our evolution and to think that we can ignore it in any way or not honour it, we are then delaying our return to God.
The gym and its path to Soul – I love it and absolutely agree, working out physically helps me connect to my body and the purpose it’s here for, I kind of see it as training ground for both my body and soulful health.
Yes I agree , I see and feel it like that too. When I have trained at the gym or with my trainer, my body so enjoys it and we feel really well afterwards too.
I’ve noticed my wellbeing improves greatly too, and I’ve noticed the opposite in my body when I do not look after it and excercise, there is a stagnation in my body that feels really heavy and weary. It’s definitely a wise choice!
Thank you Donna, in reading your blog I find myself asking the question – to what purpose is our body a vehicle to house the soul? And I realise that this is for the purpose of expression, so that the soul and all of what it offers can be expressed here on earth. Something that you have done beautifully.
A Beautiful article Donna and one I can very much relate to, taking care of my body has always been a weakness for me until recently where I have realised that it is fundamental to the way we are, the way we communicate, the way we working, function, move etc.. so exercise has been an important part of that and having the focus being about the Light of the Soul and NOT about body image is an enormous step forward and makes the ultimate difference with the relationship we are to have with our bodies.
Thank you Donna, this is a great topic, it shows that everything comes back to the quality we are in or do things with. So it is never about what we do but how we do it or rather how we are with ourself – connected with or disconnected from ourself.
This blog was timely for me. Whether in the gym or with some weights at home, your line “the body is the vehicle to house the soul” is so crucial. And brings a purpose and tenderness to the exercise that I can easily forget.
Agree Otto, knowing our own true nature brings purpose to the way we exercise our bodies in a way that is honouring for all.
Me too Otto, I go regularly to the Gym and I am very aware of working out in a way that honours my body, so I do check how I breathe, how the body feels with everything I do, and my gym workout has changed a lot since I started doing this.
Everything becomes so simple and purposeful when we come from our soul, then exercising is not to distract, disconnect and forget but about supporting one’s body to be clear, vital and strong which allows us to stay connected with ourself and most of all enjoy living in this body of ours.
I agree Esther, there is such a difference in exercising to distract or pursue a goal or to exercise to support the body in a loving way, listening in every moment to the impulses it gives to us.
‘If the soul is love, truth, harmony, stillness and joy – which it is – it cannot reside in a body that does not reflect these qualities.’ An awesome one-liner that stops you in your tracks and requires a rethink on the way in which we relate to, treat and honour our bodies – in every way. The gift of true responsibility in one short sentence.
Well said Cathy – it is ‘an awesome one-liner that stops you in your tracks……’
Absolutely Cathy, just as no two snow crystals (flakes) are exactly alike, every expression is a unique balance of these soulful aspects.
Reading this I was thinking the whole time I need to go to the gym… Not because I have to but because I know that feeling in the body when it says YES bring it on build me to deliver!!
Yes Jaime and bringing quality to our exercise gives great power to our vehicle of expression to share with all. Bring it on indeed.
Body image seems to be at an all time importance these days with people pumping iron like never before and taking food supplements and steroids. It may be showing that there is even more people needing to numb out on exercise and needing to take it to greater extremes as there is more to not feel.
This is a good point Kevin, I have noticed too that as if it is not enough to be pushing the body through exercise in a hard, excessive and disconnected way, the body is also being supplemented with steroids or other particular foods. It is another area in life that is being taken to the extreme to not feel whats going on in life. However exercise is often overlooked as a tool that is used to ‘mange life’ as it is seen as a ‘good’ thing to do. As Donna exposes here though there are two different approaches to how and why we exercise.
Great blog Donna, I have only ever been in a Gym a couple of times in my life and have recently even relaxed the amount of exercise I do as my job that is quite physical goes pretty quiet at this time of year. Your blog though has reminded me of the greater purpose of exercise and I may even seek out a Gym for myself over the winter months.
Thank you Donna. What you have written makes so much sense “my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul”. I know that when I do not exercise and take care of my physical body then this affects how I feel and my resolve and purpose weakens but when I exercise, keep my body in good working order then I feel the strength of purpose and ready to take the next self-loving step to welcome the light of the Soul into my being.
Great point that you share Mary ‘I know that when I do not exercise and take care of my physical body then this affects how I feel and my resolve and purpose weakens…..”
Thank you, Donna. I agree with every word you have shared here and am starting to look after my body as a vehicle through which the soul can express. It took a lot to convince me that the body had such an important role to play, but now that I can feel the truth of this, I am deeply appreciative of the practical wisdom of Universal Medicine in reminding me how to support myself and be all that I can be, by committing to a regular exercise routine.
This is so true Janet – Universal Medicine offers totally practical wisdom to bring to our day on a daily basis.
It is far simpler than pushing through and making oneself hard and numb in the process to make everything ‘better’ – from body shape to everything in life. Living true requires much work to break through the old illusions that fosters the lie that to be successful, every aspect of our life must be better.
I do agree janet, it is that important for our bodies to commit to a regular exercise routine as it is not used for a long time to be embodied with love. The lack of love has configured our bodies in ways to compensate for this. Now I am reintroducing love to my body I can feel the actual weakness it carries because of this lacking of love ant that it needs another configuration to become vital again. The loving support of simple exercises is well appreciated by my body as when I do the exercises I always become very joy-full simply from the inside out because my body loves to return to that vibrant state of being.
“It took a lot to convince me that the body had such an important role to play” I never thought I was that opinionated about exercise but I do know that it has taken much dedication and commitment to break through my stubborn resistance to supporting myself in this way.
“The body is the vehicle to house the Soul.” Well said Donna. To arrest the ill momentum that has come to drive the human spirit seeking dominion over the body, is to reclaim the Soul as the true heir to the throne of a Kingdom residing deep within our every heart.
Sign my up to the gym that had this as their moto! Stunning Liane thank you.
That would be a great moto for a gym Giselle.
‘The true heir to the throne of a Kingdom residing deep within our every heart’… that’s us. May we walk down those halls knowing it.
This is the magic of the Livingness, yet simple but still to be explored by so many, if not to say by almost all humanity. We either live with our soul or with our spirit. Both can do seemingly the same things, but the utter difference is the intention, the purpose and the quality and integrity how it is expressed. The first is with the all and harmonious and natural in our body – the latter seems to seek this harmony but cannot ever reach it as it is not connected to it in the first place.
Beautifully expressed Liane – True purpose restored.
Beautifully said Liane. ‘To arrest the ill momentum’ is a big one, we have had many many lives where we haven’t taken responsibly for many things to do with our bodies and our spirit is so used to doing as it pleases. To connect with the body during exercise is key, not to allow the spirit to get on with what it’s used to doing which is to run the body, fast, complicating things and being unloving. To reclaim the Soul, it is all in the connection with our hearts!
absolutely Raegan, the spirit always seeks a way to tighten its hold over the human body it thinks it is in charge of…and fighting it, trying to use willpower, to improve, to defeat – it is all just the spirit playing a game with us.. forget the struggle, and just make it about re-connection to our inner essence, to our Soul, and the whole game unravels as in the stillness we know our part in Gods playground.
Absolutely Raegan and what a simple way to live!
Beautiful Liane, when you hear it like that, it makes sense to look after, honour, nurture and respect this body to enable the Soul to use this our vehicle to express on Earth.
Returning to the power of soul.
I love your beautiful expression Liane: ” …the Soul as the true heir to the throne of a Kingdom residing deep within our every heart.” That is such an awesome statement and one I will take with me now, thank you.
Deepening my connection with my body is my life long commitment so it makes sense to me to take care of it on every level and in every way.
Thank you Donna for inspiring me to walk back into a gym ✨
And you will find how enjoyable it is Kathryn when you walk in there knowing you are working the house for the soul 🙂
Not only is gym work good for the body its also a good social outlet
The use of these words together struck me; ‘strong, gentle, tender, precious and powerful’ for they are not words we would normally think to put side by side to describe the one thing, especially when this thing is our human form. In fact, I think we have often separated them so that the choice has been to either live in a body that is ‘strong and powerful’ or in one that is ‘gentle, tender and precious’. That is, we see these terms as ‘strong’ versus ‘weak’, when neither is correct they are merely corrupted fragments of a one whole truth that we have departed from. And that is, that when we make the choice to live the light of the Soul through every particle of our physical flesh, the seeming opposites harmonize into one cohesive whole. We are so naturally strong, gentle, tender, precious and powerful when we marry Soul to body, Heaven to Earth, the macrocosm to the microcosm, the above with the below. The duality is what we lose ourselves in when we lose sight of the unity of the Whole. Thank you Donna, for a gorgeous blog.
What a beautiful comment, I love and agree with what you share here Liane.
Great blog Donna, you have really explained many aspects of exercising with weights in the gym. And Liane you have also explained the same in a wonderful clear big picture way. It leaves no room for misinterpretation. I have not gone to exercising in the gym because of how I physically pushed my body in the past. It was to harden, body image and distract me. I did think that I either chose strength or weak. In truth I am both in the truest sense of the word and so much more.
I too spent many years hammering my body for external gains at the gym but have not been for many years now. I am feeling inspired by this blog, Donna to revisit my gym experience but for a totally different purpose this time. To exercise and feel the delicateness and strength in my body feels very loving and a beautiful way to honour the body that houses my soul.
Thank you Donna, great blog. I love exercising and feel the lack of support I offer my body when I don’t. However, and there is a big however, I spent so much time enjoying exercise and getting off on the hit I got from the adrenaline that I abused my body and overrode what was supporting my body for what was numbing my body. Working with myself and experimenting and applying the teachings of Universal Medicine in my day to day living has really supported me to be aware of how my body feels when I exercise. This has meant that I can feel very clearly what is supporting me and what isn’t, when I need to do more and when I have done enough. The adrenaline is no longer what I need to tell me I am having fun or getting some benefit, in fact I can feel both of those things and build a very strong body without copies hits of it. What a revelation that has been. Thank you for starting the conversation and I look forward to reading all the comments to expand!
Yes I can very much relate to the adrenaline that you are referring to Lucy and I have found that it is only through truly being present with my body that I can observe and feel if those little highs start to kick when I am exercising. In those instances, I often pull myself up, slow down if I am doing cardio and really feel my feet and bring my awareness deep into my body and I soon come back to me. I find that I need to be super diligent with my connection with my body and not get taken out me by music or what people around me are doing.
‘If the soul is love, truth, harmony, stillness and joy – which it is – it cannot reside in a body that does not reflect these qualities.’ I love this sentence and use these qualities as a marker to check where I am at. If I am not feeling love, truth, harmony, stillness or joy then I consider why and look at what may have happened so I can come back to this marker as quickly as I can.
Great blog Donna – your commitment to your body is felt.
I loved this and it was perfect timing for my body and my relationship with my soul. I have been feeling that I need to strengthen my body so that it can be a vehicle to express the light of the soul just like you Donna. I have found that I am not quite as fit for life as I would like to be and some strength work, done at home for the time being, is ironing out the kinks in my body.
I can relate Sally, and before starting at the gym a few months ago I was feeling a stagnation and lack of commitment in my body. When I go to the gym now I don’t only feel stronger in my muscles after but also stronger and clearer in myself.
I can really relate to this Mary, I have a very physical job and my body has not felt sufficiently supported by the swimming i do twice a week, so i have begun to stretch & lift weights, the results have been miraculous, not only have my movements feel more fluid and alive but I have also witnessed how it is supporting me to express in my day to day.
I have also been feeling that I need an exercise program to iron out the kinks as you have put it Sally, and after reading the comments on how people are feeling the benefits, I feel inspired to re-start my exercise program up again.
Recently I had been looking to join a gym but was a bit unsure as to what I wanted from a gym, so i started looking, around. At it turned out we had quite a few to choose from around us. The gym is great place to see the different kinds of relationships people can have with their bodies.
I investigated a gym that was next door to my work as people were saying it was the latest and the greatest getting amazing results but decided against it because they train their clients until they vomit, as I hunted around there were contracts, boot camps, booty programs, cross fit the list goes on and on, eventually I found a place that felt right it was basic and didn’t feel like a place to be “seen”. It took a while for me to really feel what was the right place for me to be, where I felt comfortable and supported. I have now settled into an exercise routine.
Nicole, it’s lovely how you looked for a gym that suited you, rather than you fitting into the gym. It’s true that many people go to gyms with the awareness that it is ‘a place to be “seen”’. This means that everything they do is governed by wanting to make an impression, or get recognition so they can easily shut off from what the body is saying and push themselves to extremes. That’s not a good ‘relationship’ to have with the body.
I agree Nicole, when looking to join a gym, important to shop around and find one that suits. I found one that is super close to my home which has made it very easy to incorporate dropping in for a visit. Some days I may spend a bit longer at the gym and others days it may only be 30 minutes. When a gym is convenient for us to attend it is much more likely that we can keep up regular visits and incorporate it into our rhythm.
Donna after a few year’s hesitation I have finally joined a gym near my work. In the past gym’s have been unattractive to me, the equipment clunky & mysterious, the body parading etc. But my first experience at this gym has broken that belief. I have been surprised at the friendliness of the staff and how user-friendly the equipment is. I plan to use the gym at quieter times in the day, and have started in the holiday period for that reason. It feels great to give my body the extra support and strength from working with the resistance machines and I keen to make this part of my regular routine.
Nicole, that’s disgusting – ‘they train their clients until they vomit’. I read that sentence with pure disbelief, in fact I had to read it a few times to be sure I was not reading incorrectly. I’ve run pretty hard at school, I did long distance running and won the school record but I have never been sick. Wow you must have to really push yourself if you vomit or else drink a pint of salty water beforehand perhaps. Vile. It seems extremes are everywhere we look taking us further away from the naturally tender beings we are.
Thank you for so clearly showing the two different ways we can use our bodies. The two ways are miles apart and yet the distinction between the two is rarely, if ever, discussed or exposed. To see “the body is the vehicle to house the soul” brings a whole new approach to our way of being.
Me too Jonathan. I really appreciate being shown so clearly the two different ways of using our bodies. I have heard the expression “the body is the vehicle to house the soul” many times but never really connected to the true meaning of what was being said.
Imagine if we were taught this as part of our physical education at school. Rather than competitive sport being taught which encourages separation, kids are supported to foster their innate connection to their body that they already have through gentle movements.
That would be amazing indeed! Sport at school was always competitive, and the kids got a kick out of beating each other. Even when I moved away from team sports to solo sports, there was always an objective to get into competitions and prove our skills, but this meant we had to push our bodies to go to that level instead of really connecting with them, appreciating exercise and moving in a way that honours the body. My understanding of exercise now is very different, but it has taken me 20 years to drop the competitive nature that I thought was normal.
Such a timely blog to read Donna. I have been feeling to go to the gym for a while after having started with exercising at home I feel going to the gym is actually what my body is asking for. Though at the moment not really practically possible, I will go to the gym as soon as the opportunity arises.
I love this Donna it makes so much sense to be with our body in this way, seeing that the strength in our physical body is a reflection of our inner strength. It makes me appreciate that it is the way we are with all the we do that makes a difference, if it is done in such a quality that supports us then it makes sense that this would support our soul and us to be all that we can be in this life.
Hear hear Jade, beautiful expression – thank you.
To understand our bodies for their true purpose is super empowering and makes life a very joyful experience always knowing that the “body is not the end result but is a means to access the soul.” To understand that our bodies are key to express from our Soul, but at the same time knowing that our purpose is to ascend from the body is quite spectacular as it totally challenges the concept of owning anything physically.
I agree, to know the true purpose of our body and what we can learn, know and access through it completely changes everything.
And this view totally supports re-incarnation as well Rachel…our Soul moves on and the physical body dies – it is nothing without the Soul.
It’s true and I often play a game where I stop doing the things that allow my body to be so glorious as I freak out with imagined issues. I cannot argue with the fact that exercise makes a massive difference to how I feel and how purposeful I am during the day. If I stop it really is the first sign that I am making myself less.
“but at the same time knowing that our purpose is to ascend from the body is quite spectacular as it totally challenges the concept of owning anything physically” Wow how this exposes body building an industry that is fed by identification and ownership, the glorification of matter. How humbling it is to release this earthly arrogance and ascend back to soul.
Well said Rachel. The understanding of the body being the vehicle for the soul to show us the way out of the physical realm changes completely the way we approach it and take care of it. What a difference to the common ‘I can do whatever I want and the body will just have to cope’ approach.
This is interesting Rachel. If we see our bodies as ‘ours’ there is an all too easy path to take into recklessness. When the body is something that we are but ‘borrowing’ if you like and it is not in itself an end, but rather a access point to something grand, the whole perspective shifts, entirely.
This body becomes something to be understood and cared for differently. We understand it was never ours, but a part of God, and utterly spectacular that is.
I really identify with that word, recklessness, I can see how in the past I would be reckless in my use of the body, not recognising that I have a responsibility to look after my body by treating it more gently. It is remarkable how my own exercise is changing, there is so much to learn in exercise with complete awareness of how the body moves, how different parts interrelate and how expansive, open and settled I can become by exercising lightly and stretching my body out. if my body is my vehicle of expression then it stands to reason that the quality of my expression will improve if I take better care of the vehicle.
This is beautiful, Donna and reminds us of our true responsibility in looking after our bodies, so that the Soul can express through them, our ‘vehicles of expression’.
Yes Carmel, we often look after our cars better than our bodies and if we put the wrong fuel in, the car won’t go. It amazes me how our bodies can keep functioning when we abuse them so much, but it doesn’t go unnoticed and eventually the illness or disease catches up with us. If we were to take full responsibility for being ‘vehicles of expression’ we would not abuse these bodies as we would want to keep them well oiled and greased for the many miles we need to travel in service.
It is a great reminder to look after our bodies in a way which is deeply loving. To go to the gym and exercise this way can be a real challenge, but you give a great example Donna, in your sharing how you manage it.
To look after our bodies is really our true responsibility and a lot of people know this but they do not live like this. Perhaps the knowing that our soul can express much easier through our body will make them change the way how they use their “vehicles of expression” much sooner.
I can definitely relate to your experience Donna as years ago I used to push myself at the gym because of my drive to maintain a certain body image. The way I exercise today is so different to those ‘thrash n bash’ the body days. My body very clearly tells me what it needs and when to stop…and I love listening to my body cause its now the boss!
Beautiful Donna, I really love this line from you ‘my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul and the light that I innately am’. I do not go to a gym, but I exercise at home with the very same intent.
Sounds lovely – I too really connect to that statement: “…my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul and the light that I innately am’.
And it feels so inviting to do some workout with this intension, feels great.
Approaching gym workouts with a focus on the quality that we move in is so different than focusing on the outcomes that we traditionally wish to achieve.
Best statement ever! Needs to be posted on every gym wall !!
“my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul and the light that I innately am”.
I so agree Rik and on the cover of every fitness magazine too!
Anna, perhaps this is the way for me. I am simply not keen on gyms but perhaps setting up a simple gym at home is the way to go with some little weights etc., then the sum purpose is achieved without parts I don’t like about gyms.
I am also training at home Anna, and I do feel more and more that my body needs a certain strength and vitality to hold the light of the soul. Doing weights does support my body in becoming more vibrant and alive as I feel it loves to be vital and to express itself in true movement without any restriction.
Yes, this stood out for me too, ‘‘my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul and the light that I innately am’. Beautiful and what a great purpose to bring to our exercise.
Donna…I can feel your delight in your newfound experience at the gym. How wonderful that you have claimed a true way of being with your body and enjoying your gym experience…it certainly beats thrashing yourself and feeling like you ‘have to’ go to the gym.
I agree Donna – I’ve had a similar experience of over exercising and pushing my body to its’ limits in the past in order to look a certain way and relieve stress but what a great feeling it is to exercise with the intention of strengthening and connecting to the body as a way to love and nurture it.
So true Deborah…listening to our bodies is key in connecting to our loving nurturing ways. Whether we are exercising, walking, sitting, lying and any thing in between – the wisdom of our body is strong and knows exactly what it needs…if we are prepared to listen and honour what it is telling us.
It is so simple this message to listen to the body yet something I can ignore a lot. Our bodies really do know what we need – thanks for this reminder Paula.
I can only agree Annie as I too can sometimes very easily ignore the messages from my body willingly and to be reminded is the best thing to get out out of this trap.
indeed, exercise can be such a simple way of either supporting us or crushing us, we can over work ourselves AND underwork. It is lovely to feel the body working in a way that is fluid and strong.
Yes Joel, what you say shows that there is a balance where we do just the amount needed in response to what is required and what the body is able to do – without over-doing. The only way we can know where that balance lays is to listen to the body and respond. For example, I notice that when eating, even if I have one mouthful too much I can feel my body doesn’t agree with it. I can feel the moment that the meal is done but then a certain willfulness can come in which overrides that knowing and I have that mouthful, partly because I have been conditioned to eat everything on my plate and partly because of an indulgence to satisfy my taste buds. Here’s where I can take more responsibility by being very aware when I serve the food up as to how much the body actually needs rather than how much I would want to eat.
Beautifully written Sandra, food is a great example, my body knows exactly where to stop eating, but I often override that with looking for satisfaction or a certain taste after a meal, but I have to go back to earlier on, and ask myself where was I before the meal, was I present with my body and with my actions when I was eating?
When I’m not present with my body, whether I’m eating or exercising I am not listening to my bodies very clear messages of when its had or done enough, then its easy to abuse my body, in contrast when I am loving and gentle and listen to my body it always supports me.
Aah it’s in the serving up as well. Thank you….that will support not having to ‘finish my plate’ because I can connect to my body at the point of serving and say how much would you like to eat today. And Donna, thanks for the reminder about the gym and strengthening your body as it is the vehicle for the soul and for being so honest about how your life has been and where it is at. I could feel no blame/shame as you shared the story but just where you were and now where you are.
Often times, when I go to the gym I see people treating their bodies similar to the way the horse rider treats a a savage horse. It is like the enemy that has to be conquered. The body is then all muscles and they pride themselves of how it looks like. They walk tough, they breath tough. It is all about not feeling where they are at.
There is definitely a way to be gyming that supports the body and a way that does not. I find that the conquering, achievement, relief, strutting and recognition that occurs at the gym is just a reflection of a way of being at the gym that has nothing to do with being present and in connection with the body but more to do with how this body will get me seen.
Yes Johanna and I feel it is also the ‘I’m not enough just being me’.
If we come back to the absolute knowing that we are the Sons of God then we will then treat our body with the utmost care and love in whatever it is that we do.
I agree, Donna, it is amazing how we can do the ‘same thing’, but it can be completely different in the feel, the outcome and in the depth of it, if we do it for outside recognition, or if we do it with a self-loving and self-caring intention of building the strength we need to be able to bring all of ourselves to what life demands of us, or more precisely, to be ready to be all we are when the call comes, when there is a job to be done.
Beautifully said Esther. How we do something all comes down to a choice in the end, and that is whether it is loving or not. When we choose to do whatever it is we do “with a self-loving and self-caring intention of building the strength we need to be able to bring all of ourselves to what life demands of us, or more precisely, to be ready to be all we are when the call comes, when there is a job to be done.”
I swim at my local university twice a week, this particular University is very sports orientated and has a huge gym area, i have often observed young athletes exercising here, watching how their bodies shudder under the pressure of the weights, the pain on their faces and force that is applied to the body again and again. Indeed Eduardo this relationship with the body is punishing, the muscles are taught and the hard exterior hides the tender sweet being within.
Yes Lucinda, it’s huge, how many men now believe they have to have a body like Arnold Schwazenegger to measure up. To me those bulky muscles do feel like a protective layer around their hearts. Body image issues for men are becoming very prevalent. Healthy muscle tone on the other hand is beautiful and feels very self-loving and self-honouring.
And unfortunately Lucinda, this is supported by an industry that encourages this type of training, where lifting heavy weights that strain the body is an accepted part of the process of getting “fit”. The compromise in this is on our health, as the strain involved in lifting beyond our means makes our muscles shorter and our bodies have to numb and harden to cope. A prime example of where fitness does not relate to health and wellbeing.
This is an all too familiar picture in gyms accross the country and I know from experience that even when you are trying to simply exercise at your own level it is all too easy to slip into looking in the mirrors and beginning to make comparisons and begin to push yourself.
Yes Eduardo, exercising hard to get bigger stronger muscles is like locking ourselves up in a cage. We restrict the possibilities to feel open and expansive, instead looking for relief with the pain of straining our bodies. It has taken me a while but I am starting to let go of the need to be seen lifting heavy weights and instead work on lengthening the body and increasing my ability to connect to the whole of me as I move.
“…..instead working on lengthening the body and increasing my ability to connect to the whole of me as I move”. Wow, that’s inspiring Stephen G, and speaks to my body also.
It’s true what you say here Stephen as I have experienced exactly what you’ve shared both ways. When pushing the body and over doing it with the weights for days after I hurt, focusing solely on the pain and nothing more so as to not feel anything else other than the sore muscles. But working with the body and stopping when it felt to, not overworking the muscles with the weights afterwards I felt lighter, brighter, taller and more committed to life. Using exercise in this way brings vitality and is the complete opposite of ‘train hard’ standard of exercise.
That’s a great analogy Stephen. The muscly built up body is exactly like a cage, a way to hide how delicate and tender we are. The cage locks and buries the person deep inside and at the same time prevents others from getting too close. Except, of course, when the cage and the person inside is seen for who they truly are so that the illusion of the cage can be shattered in a moment.
Eduardo that is a full on description of how people relate to their body but we do see this everywhere. If its not at the gym, it is on the footpath slogging it out for a ‘run’ or cycling until one is exhausted. I once had this man tell me he used to cycle until he literally couldn’t walk. When he was in palliative care he shared with me that he did in fact know he was running from himself, which is exactly what you have shared – ‘not feeling where he was at’.
There is definitely something very powerful and positive in making our exercise about working with our bodies, not fighting them or trying to overcome them. It is very much like our experiences of ill health, we don’t need to battle a cold or an infection, if we accept it is a result of our choices then we can work with our body to restore it to wellness. The gym can be the same, we can go to build our bodies and not break them down, then there is no fight, just an increased understanding of how we function and how going to the gym can play a role in making us vital and energised.
I agree Stephen – to work with our bodies rather than against them to mould them into an ideal – is to honour our bodies first.
I love gym, and I have loved understanding how to work with my body rather than against it. It feels so very different to exercise in this way and develop a whole new relationship with gym – not based on the mind but on the body
And this is such a different way of working with the body. When I am at the gym enjoying my connection to my body, it feels like it is an unknown secret that I want to tell everyone about “hey, just connect and it’s so much more fun”. I often feel the sadness in people at the gym and feel how people are pushing themselves so as not to feel what is really going on for them.
That’s ‘huge’ Eduardo what you have claimed. I agree no more needs to said!
It can be very competitive too. I know people, when on treadmills, that push themselves to go faster than the next person, rather than connect to their own bodies and choose a pace right for them and their energy levels
And it is the competitiveness that often leads people to drop out of exercise. Exercise shouldn’t be competitive, it should be about enjoying simple movement, anyone can do that, unfortunately we have been brought up to believe that exercise is about being the best, that in itself is hugely discouraging. Exercise is for everyone, and incredibly enjoyable when done as a means to build our bodies stronger, longer and more supple in a gentle yet consistent way.
When we let go of ideals and beliefs around exercise and allow ourselves to be guided by what our body feels, we see that the body knows exactly what to do, how much and when.
So often people are competing against themselves, trying to get personal bests, lift more weights, etc, I know this was how I chose to exercise in the past. All of this takes them further away from their connection with their body and from the truth of exercise as Donna shared ‘my purpose for being there at the gym was to strengthen my body, knowing full well that my body is not the end result but is a means to access the soul.’
Yes, it feels like people ‘take it out’ on their bodies, using exercise as a form of punishment of themselves. I often hear people say things like “no pain, no gain”, “I’m going to flog myself today”, “it nearly killed me but I did it”. Hurting oneself to not feel the hurt. (I know this because I did it too)
That is so true Jeanette ‘hurting oneself to not feel the hurt. Feeling pain is feeling something as some people are not able to feel other sensations in the body because of the numbness they choose to live with.
So true Eduardo and what a great analogy. How people can get into that mentality that it is all about looks, getting the tough and tight body, ‘hard body’ to ensure you ‘look’ healthy. I know it has taken me a long time to learn to love my wobbly bits, that it is ok, to not have incredibly toned legs and arms, which are all that we get shown in magazines and tv. But in the process of learning to love those parts of my body, I have found a gentler more loving way to exercise, not feeling like I have to pound away at the gym.
“It is all about not feeling where they are at.” True Eduardo, the big muscles become like a protective layer of armour and people hide behind this image of false strength. It takes a lot of energy to sustain this image and means that these people are constantly living disconnected to themselves. It’s harder for them in a way because it’s a form of addiction to a superficial ‘feel good’. However, we all do this in some way or other and it’s often not until we are stopped by illness or an accident that we are given the space to take a look at what it is we are not wanting to feel. Many of us came to Universal Medicine because we could see that our lives were not working and Serge Benhayon has shown us the way back to ourselves.
Why do so many of us want to be something that we’re not. We are caught up in an image of a world where we don’t love and appreciate ourselves. The gymification of society is just a reflection of this. It’s meant to be healthy and muscles are complimented and adored in photos – but there is a real emptiness behind it all.
I totally agree Joel, I had not appreciated until this year how important it is to build a body that can work all the hours that is needed and do so in a LOVING and JOYFUL way. I have come to really enjoy exercising and I appreciate my body more then ever before.
And it is fun then, as we then exercise in alignment and connection – and the body tells us how it feels.
So true Karina the body is continually communicating and giving us feedback especially when we exercise in connection.
I loved revisiting this simple and powerful blog, thank you Raymond. We do know what truth feels like and also what lies feel like in our bodies.Nothing can be truly gotten away with when we lie and though we also hurt others when we do this, the deception hurts ourselves most.
I agree Jeanette and I love what you offer here – your words are filled with truth and this is just beautiful. Rich with the reflection to all of us that we do know truth inside and out, and we have come so far from it because we know what it really is. The fact is that lies hurt us and others, and we have the simple choice to not live like this.
Recently I have been more aware of what I am eating. I noticed that when I gave more attention to this I had more clarity in the day and was less reactive.
I’m just beginning to re-learn how to exercise in a way that is gentle and doesn’t involve pushing my body hard to numb out what I don’t want to feel and it feels so different to what I have done in the past and so much lovelier.
I am also re-learning how to exercise. I don’t get it right all the time, ie. decided to do some leg weights last week and definitely over did it, was very very sore in my legs for a few days. It felt really awful and could feel the disregard I went into. I am going to go back and try again, but much gentler next time.
How different would school sports look if children were taught to exercise with awareness of what is happening in their bodies?
What a fabulous journey and unfolding you have been part of Donna. Thank you for sharing. I can relate- once upon a time I worked hard at the gym and did martial arts which hardened my body incredibly. Now I exercise in connection with my body and with conscious presence. The two experiences are worlds apart as is the body I now carry. I can feel my light emanate through my walk and I feel all of me as I move. It’s delicious.
I too used to exercise really hard, not feeling like I had ‘achieved’ anything if I had not felt pain throughout the gym session or felt it afterwards. This has now changed, where I do exercise much more gently and with conscious presence, along with doing some weights, not to pump iron, but to feel strong within, this feels very supportive.
Great to read this as I am contemplating a return to the gym myself. I also feel to strengthen my body and know how lovely it can feel when we exercise gently and not from a push or a drive but from a place of stillness and true power.
Yes Elaine, it’s so awesome I agree, and I loved how Donna expressed about building strength for your body to enhouse what you hold sacred to you. It beats doing gym ‘to be strong and big’ and ‘look good’. Building strength in total respect to every mm of your body is a delight to feel the actual harmony within which supports you the whole day.
This totally does away with any belief that to have a divine sacred being in our body we are not part or embracing all of human life in someway. In fact it is quite the opposite. To be honouring our divinity we actually do have to embrace human life in full
Yes Elaine, I have just returned to the gym after a break for around 4 years and I am enjoying feeling connected to my body in a new way and supporting it for what it needs to do. I loved this line today – “not because I wanted to look better but because my purpose was to build a body that has the strength to hold the light of the soul and the light that I innately am”. Hear Hear Sister.
Since I wrote this article, I have now been going to the gym regularly for around 6 months and it has made such a difference to how I feel in my body. I feel much stronger and more powerful. My visits to the gym are not one bit about what I look like, but rather about how I feel and the inner strength and support my workouts offers me.