I was on a four hour Jetblue flight last night and glued (as many of us are) to the developments and documentation of the devastation in Haiti. What you'd hope would be an apocalyptic movie is a real-life unfolding catastrophe. Tragedy has a haunting way of instantly reducing us to the basis of humanity. Devastation shocks us into the simplest emotions of sorrow, hope, and love. We remember that we are more the same than we are different. We forget our own complaints with day-to-day life and are shocked into feeling oneness with the world.
This site is filled useful information on ways to help. You can even give at the Whole Foods check out line. When we remember that we are all connected, how can we stand by while others are suffering?
Cultivating strength by living with awareness of our actions affects the outcome of our lives. Impenetrable strength requires endless compassion. Strong body, soft heart will lead you everywhere you need to go.
The body and the mind are not only connected, they are interconnected. It's time to stop rejecting one or the other. Ideal muscle tone is soft when relaxed and firm when in action. Hypertonus, a muscle state or condition where the muscles are in a constant state of flexion can hold the body back from a full range of motion. Living with a coat of armor and a stockpile of defenses not only will hold you back, but will hold back the consciousness of the world. We all have the ability to sympathize, empathize and feel the suffering in the world. Our ability to soften is the key to building strength to change the world. Change starts with ourselves. How we live each day affects the world. Sarcasm, negativity, fears, and doubt hold us back. When we work on healing our psychology, we can be strong, clear vessels of use in the world.
Our bodies are not separate from our minds or actions. When we mistreat our bodies, we are disrespecting not only ourselves, but others who come in contact with us, and the world. When we remember that we are collectively one body, mind, and spirit, how can we not respect ourselves and others.
Peaceful action changes your body, your mind and the world. The universe is giving you hints. Listen.
Try this routine to build respect, and strength in your body and mind. There is a lot of work to do in this world. Cultivate your talents to help yourself and others.