In our last article on Zen & the Art of Health I proposed that optimal health is much more than a lean physique and great blood profile. While exercising regularly and eating a balanced and healthful diet may improve your chances of avoiding disease and living a longer vibrant life, factors such as dissatisfaction with your career, relationship, living situation, stress level and your purpose in life should not be ignored. Life is much more than getting up, going to work, going home, watching TV and going to bed. Asking yourself a few important questions and honestly answering them can do wonders for your health beyond that of exercise and nutrition. So the next time you’re on a run, ask yourself, why am I here? What’s the purpose of my life? Shouldn’t there be more?
I mentioned this in the last article and I’m going to say it again. This article is in no way an attempt to tout any certain religious belief. Don’t be scared, religion is simply a general set of beliefs explaining the existence of and giving meaning to the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observance, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. You can take it or leave it but you can’t argue that there are some fundamental truths that religion teaches which make philosophical sense and helps us understand how our connection with others, our mind and the world affect our personal health. The good news is that with a little bit of contemplation and reflection we can improve our health without even leaving the couch. How great is that?
Most of us are taught to get good grades, go to college and land a high paying job. It’s about looking good, feeling good and having the goods right? I’m not sure about that. I’ve seen many people who look good, seem to feel good, have all the goods but are miserable individuals.
When asked about components of health most medical and fitness professionals would list the following components as important markers: blood pressure, lipid profile, body-mass index, body-fat percentage, family history of disease, tobacco use, alcohol use, regular exercise and good diet. Obviously these are just a few physical components there are psychological factors. Many have this common misery that we’re stuck inside our skins and we distract ourselves from thinking about it. Sometimes we think that there’s a difference between what’s inside and what’s outside but I don’t think that’s the case; we need to develop a healthy mind and healthy body. Some people refer to a healthy mind as bliss; some refer to it as enlightenment.
A school of Mahayana Buddhism asserts that enlightenment can be attainted through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion. Dr. Dean Ornish, best known for his holistic approach to reversing heart disease is a big advocate of regular meditation and the role it plays in stress reduction and developing overall clarity. So what does one meditate about? There are a few fundamental truths that are perfect for contemplation and meditation and they are; equanimity, love, joy, and acceptance.
Equanimity means equality or treating everyone as equals. Let me ask a question, if everyone was treated equally, how many wars do you think we’d have at the moment? What if we treated each member of our family equally (even if you can’t stand your mother-in-law), our customers, our friends? We all have favorites and may tend to attach ourselves to one or two close friends or family members and there’s really no dire problem with that. However if something happened to that specific relationship that you attached yourself to it could cause tremendous pain. I’m not suggesting you dilute that relationship however I am suggesting that you try and treat everyone the same. Doing so helps remove attachment from one person and helps spread the love. Awe, now you can breathe the next time your mother-in-law visits!
Love is more than just love for another; it’s also love for ourselves. I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve worked with over the years have struggled with their health because they didn’t really feel that taking care of their own health should be a priority and/or they didn’t think they deserved to be happy. We all deserve to be happy and our actions should reflect that priority.
Joy can be different than happiness. True joy can be experienced through that of another. If you’re a parent and you’ve watched your son or daughter complete a major accomplishment you know what I’m talking about. Learning how to experience the happiness of others is a joyful experience. Helping others succeed will help bring more joy into your life.
Acceptance in my opinion is the most difficult as it requires us to set aside our pride and ego. If we’re having a difficult time with work, relationship, current financial situation, or our health, it may be time to realize that we put ourselves in the situation to begin with. Taking responsibility for our actions or lack thereof removes blame from others and places it on our shoulders. However, now that we’ve learned love and compassion we won’t be too hard on ourselves now will we? Taking responsibility will now allow us to move forward and create what it is we truly desire. Be compassionate with yourself but don’t be too polite with the state of your health. Think about what’s going wrong. How can you improve?
Spending 20-30 minutes a day quietly meditating on equanimity, love, joy and acceptance can do wonders to quiet your mind, your soul and ease tension and stress. You may find that following this practice will help you live in the moment and help you minimize focus on the past or an unhealthy obsession with the future. Ultimately, our success or our failures are our own creation. Our life is self-created and what we experience is our concept of the world.
