To Be Fit Is Your Natural Right
Earlier, if somebody had
asked us, "What does fitness mean to you?" we'd have answered, "An
exercised, well-tuned body."
The god within you. Those were the days when we had just
sniffed at the exhilarating potential of fitness and had begun to enjoy
the tautness of a muscle and the actual feeling of physical well-being.
Today, we'd add on a few more qualities. "Fitness," we'd say, "is a
well worked-out body, a feeling of total 'wellness, a mind free of
agitation, a sense of being spiritually at peace and a pleasant,
invigoratingly lively attitude towards life." To that: we'd further
add, "Tuning totally into the natural forces within and without you." The
key word here is natural. Every single human being is an athlete on the
track of life. We are all Nature's children - each one endowed with his
or her own beauty and specialness. We have within us a natural power
waiting to be tapped. Yes, tell yourself boldly and unashamedly, "I am
Nature's child. I am a special individual" And know it to be true. It
is true. For you are a citizen of a larger world residing in the
eternal land of mystique and mantras. Within and without you there is a
flood of golden sunshine. Just beneath the surface is the security of
an ancient shared culture, a common outlook, an Indian beat that throbs
through your veins and keeps you moving. There are many gods -
manifestations of every aspect of life - up there somewhere and the
thought of an after-life that shimmers like a distant, but possible
promised land. But know for a fact that the promised land is here
and now too. Those mantras course through you even as you read these
words, washing you with a power. A power that is limitless, invisible,
but tangible and real. A power that enables you to shape your present
and your future. For, you have a God within you. A dynamic
life-force. Your breathing proves that you are connected to a huge
generator which is inexhaustible. A humming, vibrant power that can
never be turned off. There's a simple way to find out for yourself. Press
your palm lightly against your ear for a few seconds, shutting out all
external sounds. Can you hear it? It is a continuous vibration, like a
thrumming generator that is constantly on. The very essence of your
life force that can be heard in the roaring voice of the sea or even
in the vibration of the air-waves as an aeroplane flies overhead. It is the 'Om' in your life. 'Om'
is Nature. Listen to Nature's sounds - for example, the twittering of
sparrows. Now, compare it to the hammering of laborers working at a
construction site. The sound of birds is eminently pleasing whereas the
artificial pounding is an assault on the ear. Or, if you call up an
office, you would hear the rat-a-tat of a typewriter. Such unnatural
noises do nothing for you. But, listen to the sigh of the oceans,
the rustle of leaves, and analyse their effect on you. They quieten
your mind, fill you with a pleasant sensation , a peaceful feeling. Why?
The answer is simple: you are a child of Nature and it is that natural
element in you that responds positively to her various manifestations. Exercising
too is an intrinsic part of our natural heritage. It is a valuable
process built into us by Nature to keep us in our natural form - a fit
and healthy form. The only threat to our life is from our lifestyle.
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