In Part 2, we looked at the burden of guilt that many of us carry and that can unconsciously drive many of our actions. Since writing down your thoughts on what you might want to transform in that area, how have you felt? Have you thought about what it might feel like to be free to simply BE and not feel motivated by guilt?
Let’s continue letting those thoughts simmer while we move to another topic: our physical self.
One definition of fitness is “quality of life.” Another definition includes things like cardiovascular health, muscular strength and endurance, body composition, and flexibility. Either way, a fit person should be able to move easily and complete daily tasks.
Now, even if you already exercise or compete in sports, you might not be so diligent about stretching. I know plenty of competitive athletes who even seem to take pride in never stretching. To be sure, there are probably just as many studies that say stretching is a good thing as there are studies which say it’s useless. For me, though, I just can’t deny that it feels really good to stretch and be flexible.
For Part 3 of the SFLP, I give you a challenge: Stretch for just five minutes a day for the next seven days. Even those of us with the least amount of free time to devote to a workout program can surely find five minutes before bedtime to loosen up.
In case you can’t remember back as far as junior high gym class to come up with some stretches on your own, you might want to consider the Sun Salutation from yoga. It is a very simple routine that only takes a minute or two. You can do three sets of the Sun Salutation easily in five minutes.
Here are two good explanations (with pictures) of the Sun Salutation:
http://www.sivananda.org/teachings/asana/sun-salutation.html
http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogapractice/sunsalutation.asp
Take the stretching challenge, and prove to yourself that you can do it. Five minutes a day for seven days is very doable, and you will start the ball rolling on a simply fitter lifestyle.
aim4wisdom 