Physical Fitness Doesn’t Guarantee Being “In Touch” With Your Body
March 7th, 2011
Strong mind-body awareness is associated with peace of mind, improved mental health, balance, and wellbeing. But simply using your body doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in touch with its up and downs. In fact, researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found that dancers—known for expressing emotion through physical movement—are actually less in tune with mind-body connections than regular practitioners of mindfulness meditation. Exercise is something that therapists may recommend for clients facing depression, but this new Berkeley study highlights the ever-growing number of counselors who also recommend meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, for clients in all walks of life.
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Comments
Since depression can be caused by poor health and body image problems, surely hitting the gym is likely to be really good for your self esteem at least. I feel pretty good when I realize my muscles are a bit stronger since I’m making actual progress.
I would have expected dancers to be far more attuned to the mind-body connection than a wrestler or a runner, for example. That’s interesting. I guess it depends on the individual as much as anything then rather than their choice of fitness regime.
It sounds like by focusing more upon the physical prowess, the dancers have sacrificed, or at least dampened down, the mind-body connection. If I had to choose I would want to have that connection over any kind of physical superiority. No contest!
I’ve heard from martial arts practitioners that we only use a small percentage of our full potential because of mental restraints. I think meditation helps when you need to get your mind to adapt to your superior body too as it improves. If you look at a martial arts master like Bruce Lee, you’ll see that he was practically superhuman, and that came as much from his own spiritual development as it did his physical fitness.
I agree that just physical fitness does not mean you are mind-body aware. It is not just the numbers that matter when it comes to your body-all the inches and pounds-but also being deeply aware of your body,like from within. That is what matters!
But it can seriously help!
By combining both meditation and exercise into your daily regimen can be a crucial way to get to know yourself, your limitations and your strengths. Not only are you making yourself physically stronger and healthier you are opening your mind and becoming mentally and emotionally stronger as well. That is the combination that I am personally striving for!
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