The Radical Self-Care Free Online Course - Step 3: Exercise

Exercise.

Yes, exercise. That dirty "e" word is an important part of staying healthy. Physical exercise is essential to your physical health and it also helps your emotional well-being as well. Start by walking instead of driving, if you can. Then schedule exercise at least three times per week. Daily is best. Don't forget to also exercise your mind!

If you already have an exercise routine that you feel satisfied with, then you can skip the homework at the end of this section, but please read this anyway. As for the rest of you...read on...

Exercise often seen as one of those thing we have to do but don't want to do. And it often gets pushed aside for other, more pressing things.

Now, I realize that exercise can be hard to fit into a busy life. And, if you don't enjoy exercise that much, and don't really care if you have six-pack abs, it can seem like a waste of time. Yet, exercise can be so much more than just doing “reps” at a gym and trying to look good.

The Spirituality of Movement
It took me a long time to realize that our bodies weren't just these “things” that moved us from one place to another. Our bodies hold our memories, our emotions, and our very soul. Exercise doesn't just keep our muscles in shape; it moves the “chi” or life force energy that circulates throughout our bodies.

When our chi is flowing smoothly, we are healthier, emotionally as well as physically. We are able to heal more quickly from physical pains as well as heartbreaks. We are able to think more clearly and feel better about life.

Thus, if you aren't exercising, it's not just harming you physically. It's harming you spiritually.

Chi gets stuck in various areas of our body due to illness, negative emotions, and other problems. Some of these chi blockages can stem from very subtle and seemingly minor incidents. Let's say a teacher put down your writing in the second grade. This made you feel bad – and maybe that feeling went to the pit of your stomach. There – now your chi is stuck. Maybe just a little to start, but it adds up the next time someone puts you down, say the bully on the playground. And so on and so forth.

Next thing you know, you're an adult with an ulcer.

We hold our memories in our cells. This is why some people reporting experiencing the actual memories of the dead people who donated their organs to them.

Exercise not only keeps the physical body healthy, but it helps move the chi that keeps old, stuck negative memories and emotions in place.

Now – some exercise is better for this than other types of exercise. Eastern mind-body exercises such as yoga and chi kung are specifically designed to move the chi. Jogging might do it somewhat but it won't be as effective. Still, any exercise is better than none.

(Note: Those who are physically incapable of exercise can work with a healer who can move the chi for them...and perhaps heal them enough so they can exercise on their own.)

YOUR HOMEWORK – EXERCISE!

The key to doing exercise consistently is to find something you enjoy doing. If you only think of exercise as something that involves a gym, a treadmill, and some weights, then you are limiting yourself.

Your assignment for this lesson is as follows:

1. Write down a list of physical activities you enjoy. Don't limit these activities to what you consider to be formal “exercise.” If you can't think of anything, think back to what you enjoyed as a child.

E.g.: square dancing, walking, volleyball, bowling.

2. Schedule some sort of physical activity three times per week and stick to it. This is the minimum you need to do to get results.

Be creative and find ways to fit it in. If you like square dancing but the dance is only once a month, find some dance partners to practice with in the meantime. If you like volleyball but the beach is too cold in the winter, find an indoor volleyball team.

Exercise does not need to be formal. Dancing around your living room to your favorite music is good exercise. Try to make exercise fun, something you look forward to.

Please share your homework and observations in the forums.