Today we are going to talk about fitness as a spiritual discipline. Now, before we go further, let me define what I mean by "spiritual." I am not talking about religion . This is NOT about your religious demonimation or whether you believe in a higher power or not. What I’m talking about is your journey through life, to reach your full potential and DEFINE YOURSELF!
Everyone, even the fittest and most athletic, have the potential to reach for more, in body, mind and spirit. Everyone I’ve met (myself included)has beliefs about what is possible, what is impossible, how the world SHOULD be, how they SHOULD be, how others SHOULD be, what SHOULDN’T be, etc. Are you tired of SHOULD-ing on yourself and the world? I know I am.
And if your mind is devoting much of your energy to all of those things, how could you possibly be open to achieving something greater?
As many Zen stories say: you must empty your cup. You cannot pour more into a cup that is already full. So, too, you must let go of your SHOULDS, your ideas about your limitations and entertain ideas of possibility. As I ask my clients, "how will you DEFINE YOURSELF?"
The mind is a powerful tool. It has convinced people to perform amazing feats that they may consciously think are imossible. You’ve heard of stories where a grandmother lifted a car to save her grandchild or the man who pressed a half ton boulder off of his chest. What happened in these moments to allow this grandmother and man to accomplish these physical tasks that under normal circumstances they would be unable to perform. I’m sure adrenoline had alot to do with it. But they also had a RESOLVE, a DETERMINATION. They unified their bodies, minds, and spirits. There was no doubting. There was only ACTION.
Think about all that you could achieve not only in fitness but in all areas of your life if you didn’t second guess yourself and if you believed, without a doubt, that you could succeed.
How do you do that? By putting 1000 pounds on the bar and hoping that positive thinking will get you through it? Maybe, but I DON’T recommend this.
Just like anthing else that you want to get good at, you must practice.
1. Use visualization: see yourself lifting your goal weight, running your ideal time, making the shot, or having that defined body.
2. Get your mind IN your body. Many people are constantly distracting themselves during workouts through music, reading, or going over the day’s events. They have no idea what is going on in the body. They are unaware of the body’s signals of when it can go further and when it needs to stop.
3. Practice, practice, practice. How much? Whenever you remember and know that even 5 seconds of 100% focus will yield better results than hours with only partial focus!
As long as you are on this journey, you might as well make the most of it, not just deriving the physical benefits but the mental and spiritual benefits as well.
Get your mind in your body. Focus on that which you want to achieve, and you may discover the results are just as fantastical as your dreamed they would be!
I believe in you! Now, it’s time that you do too!
Chrissy Zmijewski, MSW, CPT, PES has degrees in psychology and social work and is a nationally Certified Personal trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist and a Professional Bodybuilder and Figure Competitor with the WNBF. She is a college instructor in exercise science and is the owner of Goddess Athlete, an international coaching company, providing in-person and online nutrition, training, and contest preparation coaching. Check out her website at goddessathlete.com or email her at chrissy@goddessathlete.com .