Spirituality

Movement and Spirituality

Developed more than 4700 years ago, during the Indus Valley civilization, Yoga is something everyone is talking about these days. Yoga is a Sanskrit word derived from the verb Yuj.  Yuj means to join or to unite. As per the ancient scriptures, Yoga is the process of merging the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness via the creation of complete harmony between mind, body, and soul. In short, Yoga is not just a religious procedure but an amalgam of the exercise of mind and body.

Often, it has been observed that the spiritual people and health aficionados look down upon each other. Spiritual practitioners believe that going to a gym or running is just a fad for health freaks, and most of the gym fanatics do believe that Spirituality is just a mumbo jumbo, and you should always choose a dumbbell over a beaded necklace.

There will be very few who have understood the importance of both mental and spiritual health and work out on both aspects simultaneously, making a perfect blend.

The instrument of the Soul

During his meditation sessions, Chamunda Swamiji often describes our existence as spiritual beings, having a human experience. We have been sent here by the divine, equipped with all the things we need to handle this unpredictable yet brilliant life experience; he says while explaining the correlation of the body and the soul.

Ancient tantra texts like Agama and Nigama Samhitas describe our body as an instrument to attain Nirvana through enjoying all the worldly pleasures in life. In the modern sense, you can say that your body is a vehicle, your mind is the driver, and your heart is the navigational system in it. When used correctly, it can lead you to the path of salvation. Hence, it becomes a duty of a seeker to keep this instrument sharp.

Movement as a spiritual practice

Do you know that after a long run, runners get an influx of endorphins? It’s called runners high. There is a stunning resemblance to the brain after a long run and after an intense meditation session.

A nice jog can help you connect with your inner self. Dance can help you express yourself spiritually. Few laps in the swimming pool can make you concentrate on your deep breaths. In short, you can mimic a few of the effects of meditation with exercise.

Whenever you participate in guided meditation, the narrator asks to merge your mind and body while concentrating on the breath. Have you ever seen Ashleigh Barty playing tennis? She becomes the racket. Michael Schumacher becomes the car he is driving, and Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the ball he is kicking. Their minds are totally fused with their bodies when they are completely immersed in their game, mimicking the effects of meditation.

Here are a few examples of the movements, allowing us to explore the spiritual connections.

Movements replicating the meditative experience:

 Tai Chi

 Walking Meditation

 Yoga

Movements involving repetitions:

 Walking or Jogging

 Swimming

 Weight Training

Movements to clear the built-up Rage:

 Kickboxing

 Wood Chopping

 Brisk Walking 

Movements for expressing yourself and bliss:

 Dance 

 Hula Hooping, Trampoline

 Water Aerobics.

Benefits of Movement in Spirituality

Even if you set the Spirituality aside, movement is good for the physique. It gets us to familiarise ourselves with our body, knowing its capacity and limitations. It teaches you to respect your body, apart from being a terrific stress buster, a mood enhancer, and a healer.  

As you engage yourself in physical activity, it helps you feel alive and happy, which comes in handy for a spiritual seeker. You can use this workout time as a self-reflection and introspection. 

As you exercise, you push yourself to your limits, strengthening your power of resolution, making your mind stronger. A healthy mind comes in handy when you hold a Sankalp in Spirituality.

As you play your favorite sports, your heart gets engaged in it, overcoming the body’s physical limitations. When you participate in sports like boxing, it helps you release your anger, negativity, and inner pressure. As you remove the clogging emotions, you get your energy flowing through the active energy centers, helping you progress further in chakra balancing and cleansing.

All the noises, chants, negativity, and inner voice pull you back quiet down as you involve yourself in the sporting activity. This transformation helps you to be present at the moment.

One thing to keep in mind is, one exercise can fit into many categories here. 

Obviously, our goal is not to replace meditation with sports. There are many aspects of meditation like mantra chanting, chakra awakening, and getting closer to the divine that cannot possibly be substituted here. But we aim to embrace the spiritual side of any form of movement, which will help you get in the zone, have an open mind, and pinpoint concentration.   

Meditation is sitting in an idle position. Movement is completely opposite to that. It’s okay to feel skeptical about this correlation between meditation and movement. But instead of just taking our word for it, we would like to encourage you to take up an activity and experience yourself.

Do not forget to share your experience in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.  

On your marks, get set, MOVE!!!