Two simple exercises for the body and an essential one for the mind.
What does it take to be FIT?
Building muscles to become stronger and burning fat to become more agile?
What else?
For this brief time we have together, I invite you to explore the possibility that what it takes to experience a complete sense of being FIT is nothing short of the following:
Knowing how to thrive in your environment.
This requires that you train every aspect of your being with this aim in sight!
What’s the sense of actively building and burning at the gym while not doing anything about your constipation, gas, bloating, acid reflux, indigestion, nausea, and the sense of heaviness that you sometimes experience after eating?
To move toward attaining a “six-pack” does not exempt you from digestive discomfort. Similarly, achieving steady digestion, one that is free from symptoms, does not prevent you from looking physically FIT.
So, rest assured that dealing with the unpleasantries happening just under your skin does not ask that you tense up in denial or give up on your appearance.
Since it all begins with the mind, here is a great starting point for a more integrated training approach.
Redirect some of the attention to becoming stronger and more agile towards qualities that can provide you with a more flexible mindset.
Take time each day to observe your body’s signals and tend to what is needed.
Like doing the splits, this is not gained overnight.
A genuine commitment to long-term training is required.
Your exercise selection is the next level of the training.
Apply your training to exercises that are practical, have been through the test of time, and ooze common sense.
Yet, before getting to those practical, time-tested, and simple exercises to a FIT gut, a note on the value of steady digestion- free from symptoms.
Steady digestion makes a healthy body.
This statement comes from the profoundly expansive and well-rooted pearl that is Ayurveda!
Have you heard of yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda?
While Yoga is the spiritual side of the ancient Vedic teachings, Ayurveda is the healing side.
So relevant is this wisdom that it has been passed down through the ages for approximately five thousand years now.
Its literal translation is “Ayuh” longevity and “Veda” knowledge.
Although in plain sight, the “Knowledge of Longevity” remains hidden from most people.
Timely guidance that is also timeless!
Accessible to all, yet likely to be dismissed by most!
By now, you should be getting a taste of why gaining flexibility in your mind will serve well on the path to making the gut or the entire organism more FIT.
So, let’s get to those two exercises for the body, shall we?
Exercise #1 ~ Avoid cold beverages during your meals.
No, most restaurants in the U.S. are not conspiring against your health!
They are simply responding to the general mindset that says something along the lines of:
Shall we take a moment here to acknowledge that our loud conditioned minds constantly override the wise whispering sounds of our bodies?
It happens.
Although we agree that keeping the bodily tissues well hydrated is a good plan, is ice cold really more refreshing?
Could this be a story fabricated by your mind and not your bodily needs?
Hmmm…..
The ice-cold beverage you are ingesting during your meals prevents your digestive fire from breaking foods down effectively.
This, over time, makes your entire system toxic!
So, indeed, not an excellent match to being FIT!
Really?
This is an easy one to put to the test.
One sure way to learn what your body is telling you is to observe the effects of what you do!
Experiment with avoiding cold beverages while eating for a week.
Let the results show you that this is worth repeating for another week.
What have you got to lose?
Exercise #2 ~ Sip on warm water throughout the day.
It doesn’t take much for this organism to become toxic from the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the excess stress we keep.
For this reason, people go to great lengths to purify on occasion.
Yet, according to Ayurveda, the first (and maybe only) step needed to dissolve those impurities is to sip on hot water frequently.
My initial encounter with this practice was during my stay at the Sivananda Ashram. Walking to the kitchen to fill my cup with hot water was the first ritual of each day. This felt odd at first due to the warm temperatures of the Bahamas. Yet, it did do the trick in encouraging that early bowel movement – a great way to prepare for that morning meditation.
Now, to those interested in becoming better hydrated, sipping on hot water will do this for you (in addition to cleansing and strengthening the gastrointestinal tract).
Although all of your internal organs benefit from this exercise, your kidneys are especially comforted by the warmth while stressed by the cold.
You want your kidneys on your side, don’t you?
Knowing if this exercise is working for you is not as apparent!
The results on digestion may be a bit more subtle here than simply avoiding ice cold drinks during your meal.
So, be willing to gift yourself with hot water siping exercises daily while simultaneously taking notice of your body’s response.
From improved elimination first thing in the morning to an overall improved sense of vitality, you’ll know if this gut training is worth repeating.
Now I’m eager to hear from you!
What exercises do you do to support a healthier gut and more flexible mind?
May your journey lead you to uncover the ideal FIT for living in the world in more easeful, and fulfilling ways!