Yesterday I wrote the president for the 100th time to request that the US remove itself from the wars we are in. Still no positive results to report. It seems that wars are more important then the needs of the people as far as our government is concerned. I will continue to write the president but I will not put them on my blog regularly because I have increasingly grown tired of the political process and may minimize my political comments. That does not mean I have less energy for social change. Each day whether it is stated directly or not, this blog is about the ultimate in real change and that is the raising of consciousness in us all. If we expand into the possibilities of who we are peace is a given and so is the well-being of us all and the planet itself.
I just finished the best and most interesting book on running I have every read, Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. Most of my readers may not realize that I did my dissertation on the psycho-spiritual benefits of running back in the 80’s. I have been a distance runner since 1975 and this book is a real inspiration and motivation for me. This is a great story and is full of interesting ideas and information that have me actually looking at running from a fresh perspective.
This week is a vacation for me. I needed a break from the all the needs and worries of my clients. When I take time off I often get physical as a way to re-energize my life and blow out the old stale past vibes. I was so motivated by Born To Run that I ran through the mountains yesterday for one hour and forty minutes and I still had more energy in my tank. One of the exciting pieces of information I read was that people well into their sixties can continue to increase fitness and actually may be more fit than people much younger. Since I want to live long and strong this got me focused on how I can put more variety in my workouts because routines have a diminishing effect on fitness.
When you and I think about exploring untapped potential or unrealized capacities we often forget about our bodies. Yes we can get stronger, we can move more gracefully, we can run farther, we can increase our aerobic fitness, we can expand our flexibility, and more.
I love the energy of being fit and if you want to get started it is easy to do. Walking is the best and simplest form of exercise and it takes no special equipment and generally doesn’t cause overuse injuries. If after a while you want to push yourself, you can go for faster walks or find some hills to go up. If you want to get stronger there are a number of body weight exercises that will get you fit fast. If interested, do a search on the web for body weight exercises. If flexibility is what you are after find a yoga or tai chi class in your community or take up dancing. You body may complain initially but soon it will enjoy the energy and aliveness it feels. Yes our bodies have the ability to expand their capacities too.