Relax your Mind before you Exert your Body!

dilnnawaz damania
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read
PEACE AND QUIET IS WHAT YOUR MIND & SOUL NEED!

Block out the Noise around you. Insulate your mind in an imaginary Psychedelic (Shiva-like) Purple Spiritual Bubble of Positivity and Goodness! Stay in this simple meditative state for a few minutes before you actually start your workout with a Peaceful Positive Mind.

Noise?….domestic, professional, the traffic, the weather, your cell phone, email, messenger, husband/wife, Girlfriend/boyfriend, kids, an insect just gave you a nasty bite, someone messed up your internet connection, a surprise attack from your neighbour’s normally well behaved toy puddle, the taxi driver gave you a dirty look after just overtaking you :), your colleague forgot to inform you of a deadline, your boss asked you for fresh ideas but what he really meant was his own ideas, your maid, tele-callers, the magazine seller at a traffic signal desperately trying to sell you a book as the bestseller from an unknown market, with a broad smile, “The Zen of Farting” by Reepah Gud Win (or should i say Reepah ‘Bad Wind’ :) Has anyone heard of this book? This is a real book by the way!) Uninvited stares from almost everyone on the road. You can’t get away with the occasional yawn without someone in the next car actually having the time to watch your every move…, Personal space may not be as personal after all! You are just about lucky if you can catch a breath of some of your ‘personal air’ while in an elevator! :) Sometimes I wonder what it would be like with the persistent honking and noise around us on our roads in crazy traffic if people would suddenly break into a song like they did in the opening sequence of the movie “La La Land” dancing on cars or wait why go that far when we do the desi numbers almost always in similar conditions…! :)

Everyday life is tough as it is, before you actually hit the gym or begin any workout, spend few minutes with just YOU! Close your eyes, be with yourself, be QUIET, acknowledge the thoughts dominating your mind but release them mentally one by one… Disengage, disconnect from the outside world and try to reconnect with your “Inside Universe”. Meditation need not be some extensive procedure where you need to be in a particular place, a pose, follow a pattern, a chant, structure, to get it right. Your meditative state could just be as simple as closing your eyes preferably in a relatively quiet place and slowly drifting away from the thoughts that surround you, till you come to the inner edge of your subconscious mind where you seem to have left everything aside and all you can feel is your rhythmic breathing… at times, yes there will be those occasional recurring, nagging thoughts which you may accept and release just as easily. (never restrict your thoughts). Feel your body come to a complete relaxation state and stay that way for sometime!

If meditation is not your thing, then I suggest take a brisk pleasant walk outdoors, enjoy the sound of the beautiful oceanic waves, or the green vegetation around you, soothing to the eyes, just divert your mind before you start any exercise routine. You need to understand the linkage of your mind to your body. Your performance at the gym or any workout will certainly be affected if your mind is disoriented, preoccupied, disturbed or simply irritable due to maybe sleep deprivation or something else. Hence for optimum results for your body, start with relaxing your mind first, Always!

Invite happy thoughts, think of your workout, the best parts of your routine which make you feel great, the difficult parts which you need to start loving slowly but surely, that will get you closer to your goal. One important thing, never make your goal losing weight although I know thats exactly what most people do exercises for. I have personally experienced that when I have tried to move my attention from measuring my weight daily to actually enjoying my workout, eating well and feeling good mentally over a consistent period of time, somehow my body has responded beautifully by way of weight loss slowly, by default. Remember every type of stress you feel mentally will eventually be experienced by your body. There is a science to it which suggests that “Stress Hormone” Cortisol, in increased levels can directly affect your learning, memory, lower immune function, bone density, increased chances of weight gain,blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, etc. Most people presume a certain amount of weight gain is attributed to a healthy affluent lifestyle, “prosperity” they call it, but the reality is far from it! Your beer belly or the fat around your arms and legs may not be due to the rich food you consume but could very well have several other factors involved, stress being a big part of that.

Remember always, Fitness is Holistic and Eternal, (BODY MIND & SOUL), it should be a part of your everyday living and not just for the time you are at the gym.Consistency is the name of the game! Enjoy it, look forward to it and you will experience the changes once you learn to align your MIND to your BODY!

Stay Fit, Stay Centred!

Dilnnawaz :)

Twitter: @dilnnawaz1 LinkedIn: mentorglobalconsulting@gmail.com

Instagram: dilnnawaz Website: www.mentorglobal.co.in

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