The Spiritual Side of Exercise

By Tara Patricia 

The cheer of the crowd falls silent to his ears. The young, brown-eyed man digs deep into every ounce of his being. This is it…all his years of training, all his sacrifice comes down to this very moment. As the crowds jump around him in muted slow motion, a drop of sweat rolls down his face. The beating of his heart echoes through his mind. He is one with everything, yet there is no distraction…just him and a silent sense of knowing. With pure focus and a calm spirit he makes the play. The crowd nervously watches, but he knows he has delivered.

We have all seen this situation played out in the movies. We have listened to athletes as they explain “being in the zone.” We have heard the runner, the swimmer or the cyclist say, “It clears my mind and I feel alive.” But what are they all talking about? What truly is this “being in the zone” all about?

Simply put, it is the spiritual side of exercise.

We all know how physical movement affects our physical body, but have you ever thought how that same movement affects your mental, emotional and spiritual self? Physical movement creates a chemical and emotional shift in our mind-body state, which allows us to clear the clutter of our mind and reconnect deeper to our inner spirit, our true essence.

...Read the full article, and others like it at: http://edgemagazine.net/2012/06/the-spiritual-side-of-exercise/