A delightful part of my job as coach for the AARP Fat 2 Fit Community is interviewing experts who share their insight on issues involving fitness. One such expert is Dr. Judith Rich, a well-known teacher in the field of transformation and consciousness who guides individuals and organizations into discovering and fulfilling their destinies. (See her full biography below.)
My own experience in losing weight piqued my curiosity about Dr. Rich’s ideas was. I found that once I had dropped the surplus pounds that were encasing me, I discovered my life’s work. Given my experience, I posed questions to Dr. Rich about the relationship between spiritual and physical well-being:
Q. Does caring for our physical bodies, including becoming more fit and losing weight if needed, help us address and care for our deepest longings? Can we keep the spiritual person and physical being completely separated?
A. As we become more attuned to the deepest longings of our spirit, we’ll be more likely to manifest those longings through caring for our body. We’ll want our body to be an accurate representation of how we’ve come to honor our spirit.
Most Eastern spiritual traditions teach that the body, mind and spirit are but one entity, whole and united. Here in the West, we tend to think of body, mind and spirit as three distinct entities. We think of the mind as the seat of thought that resides in the head and functions separately from the rest of the body. Yet Eastern traditions teach that the body is the mind and vice versa. I tend to see the concept of self this way.
In this context then, taking care of the body is one way of expressing love for one’s higher or spiritual self. However, if I take care of my body because I want attention or recognition from others, or if I’m motivated by concern about what other people think of me, I’m responding to ego desires and, therefore, I’m not aligned with my higher self. This approach isn’t going to feed my deepest longings, since they emanate from my higher self, not my ego.
Q. Can we be in tune with our purpose in life and be out of tune with our bodies? Can we hear the inner messages about our mission and simultaneously ignore the body’s messages?
A. Even though my response seems to contradict my answer to the previous question, oddly enough, yes, I think it’s possible to be attuned with an inner calling ignoring the physical. In fact, sometimes people can be so purpose driven that they overcome the limitations imposed by the body.
If you look at some of the world’s greatest athletes, you’ll often find this dynamic. Take Lance Armstrong as an example. A testicular cancer survivor, he went on to win the Tour de France competition seven consecutive times. Gymnast Kerri Strug completed the vault competition despite a sprained ankle and two torn ligaments and helped her team win the gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The Special Olympics is about people overcoming physical limitations to fulfill a sense of purpose and a higher calling. Artists, writers and other people associated with the arts often are so attuned to their calling that they ignore the body’s need for sleep and nutrition.
Ignoring the body’s messages, however, comes at a price. Even those who are in service to their calling will eventually pay the price. One can operate over the top of a compromised body for only so long before something gives out.
Q. Do we have a calling to realize our personal physical best? Do we have a custodial responsibility to our bodies? Do we have an obligation to be an example to others? If so, how can we live our lives in alignment with our desire to take care of our bodies and realize our personal best?
A. I believe the answer to all these questions is absolutely yes, but I might change the language a bit.
We have a responsibility to care for ourselves, including the body, in such a way that we optimize our ability to create and fulfill our purpose.
However, let me define what I mean by responsibility. I hold self-care not as a duty or an obligation but as an honor. We have the honor of caring for our bodies and being an example to others. If you see this challenge as an honor rather than as a duty, would you feel differently about caring for your body? I believe that you would.
Taking care of our bodies becomes a get to rather than a have to. “I get to exercise for 30 minutes every day” and “I have to exercise” are two distinctly different views. Holding the exercise as an honor or a privilege to take care of myself frames my choices in a way that points directly to the deeper longings of the spirit. “I can’t wait to exercise” becomes my daily mantra.
The body, after all, is our mechanism for navigating the world. If the body is compromised, so are our health and our capacity for self-expression.
If we’re committed to fulfilling our potential—to realizing and optimizing our ability to make the most of our lives—ultimately, we need to honor the body’s needs for care.
Q. What is the role of addiction, whether it involves alcohol, drugs or food? What is the role of overconsumption, whether it is food or the acquisition of items we can ill-afford?
A. Addictive behavior emanates from a wound in the connection with our spirit and is a misguided attempt to return to a state of wholeness by medicating that wound with something external. A person gets high from drinking alcohol or using drugs—or even from shopping excessively or overeating—as a way to numb the pain of this separation.
In all cases, we’re seeking to fill a hole left by the absence of wholeness. We know, of course, this behavior never works. Nothing can substitute for what we’re really seeking—the realization and acceptance of who we truly are. Focusing on this awareness is why Alcoholics Anonymous has been so successful in treating addictions: it addresses alcoholism as a crisis of the spirit.
Q. Is getting fit and losing weight a challenge and difficulty that we can use to help us grow?
A. Undoubtedly! Anytime we stretch ourselves beyond our expectations, we grow. In the process, we empower ourselves by building courage, gaining self-confidence and learning to trust in our ability to manifest our word.
To know that you set a goal, encountered and overcame difficulties, persevered and achieved your goal sets you up to be even more successful going forward. Personal growth is a positive feedback loop that is self-reinforcing. It brings you to a greater level of commitment to your health and wellness.
Q. How can we best prepare ourselves to care for our bodies at a time when we are bombarded with messages to indulge ourselves with tempting fast food and simultaneously lulled by sedentary activities, such as riding to work and sitting at a computer?
A. I hate to give this answer because it sounds too simple: turn off the television. Seriously, ask yourself these questions: What kind of life do you want to live? What kind of person do you want to be?
Do you want to be a passive passenger as you travel through life and live at the effect of others? Or do you want to be in the driver’s seat?
At every point along the way, you have a choice. You can make choices that are consistent with someone who is a passenger and allow others to determine where your life goes and how it unfolds.
Recall the phrase “asleep at the wheel.” Eating fast food and living a sedentary lifestyle happen when you’re asleep at the wheel. These choices might look like the easier ones; however, the long-term costs to health and well-being far outweigh the short-term benefits that primarily involve convenience.
Or you can choose to sit in the driver’s seat and consciously point your life in the direction toward what serves to realize your full potential. Obviously, this choice requires a different level of awareness. How awake and aware do you want to be in your life? Are you willing to lead an “inconvenient life” in order to reach your personal best?
Q. Can people experience their deepest joy, passion and sense of freedom while imprisoned in a body that they despise or dislike because of surplus pounds?
A. If one views his or her body as a source of pain and suffering, there is no freedom. If one looks in the mirror and is disgusted by what he or she sees, there is no joy. If one feels trapped in a body that is carrying surplus pounds, it’s difficult to feel passion. In the presence of self-hatred, feelings of joy, passion and freedom are numbed and suppressed.
Negative feelings become concretized and stuck in the body. Take shame, for example. Women who have been sexually abused often carry extra weight around the abdomen and hips. They often blame themselves or feel dirty. Layers of fat serve as a security blanket to protect one's self from feeling the full impact of self-hatred or shame. Lose the shame and lose the fat. Lose the self-hatred and gain back joy and passion.
Self-love is the best “diet” there is!
Q. What healthful lifestyle practices support individuals in realizing their personal best?
A. Eating healthy, whole foods, drinking plenty of liquids and getting enough sleep are the obvious ways.
Get plenty of exercise. In my younger days, I was a runner, but my joints can no longer take the impact, so I walk 30 minutes each day. Spending time in the fresh air and sunlight revitalizes your body, mind and spirit. I also recommend doing yoga or some form of stretching to keep the body flexible.
Meditation is a lifesaver for me. It’s an oasis from the continuous input of life. Meditation is an opportunity to step off the wheel of activity, rest in the silence and allow the body and mind to be quiet and peaceful. Twenty minutes of meditation refreshes and recharges my body, mind and spirit and makes me feel like a new person.
Plant a garden. Gardening is good for the body, mind, spirit and soul. Even if you don’t have a yard, put out some pots and plant some seeds. Watch a miracle grow in your window.
One of the biggest challenges of aging is the issue of isolation. No matter your age, surround yourself with a community of friends and family who loves and supports you. No one is an island.
Make time for fun! We’ve become a workaholic, 24/7 society. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack and Jane dull people. Let your hair down, go dancing or do what brings you joy. Give yourself an inner child break.
Lastly, be of service to something greater than yourself. Volunteer with a community organization or help to clean up the environment. Fulfillment comes when one is connected to the whole by making a difference in the lives of others.
Dr. Rich’s ideas are reflected in the concepts undergirding the Fat 2 Fit community—that we can have fun getting fit together and that we are our brother’s keeper. That is, we know our example influences those around us. By setting a powerful example of a person who adopts a healthful lifestyle, we not only honor our own body but we make a difference in the lives of everyone we encounter. Being of service to something greater than ourselves gives meaning to our task.
About Dr. Judith Rich
For nearly 40 years, Dr. Rich has focused on the awakening of one’s dormant inner resources and has facilitated profound personal and professional breakthroughs for individuals and organizations throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and South America.
As a public speaker, corporate consultant, writer and performance coach, Judith brings insight, passion, humor and sensitivity to empower individuals to awake to the brilliance of who they are.
Dr. Rich writes a weekly blog in the Living section of the Huffington Post. Her writing can also be found on her own site, Rx for the Soul (www.judithrich.com).
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