Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.
In life, with its ups and downs, blessings and stressings, we bend and stretch. We feel discomfort, take a deep breath, push a little further. Either that, or we succumb to the burning and pain, and quit. Like when we’re wrestling with a big spiritual decision. You may even notice that when you grapple with the decision or circumstance, that the tension is so deep it wreaks havoc on your body. Your neck tightens. Hot spots flare up in your back. Pain flashes through your legs. Headaches. Lack of sleep. Anxiety. And on and on it goes.
Despite the body’s propensity to pass away, its inevitably tied to the spirit. One effects the other. A healthy spirit will bring about a healthy body. A healthy body goes a long way to achieving a healthy spirit.
So, here’s a thought: why don’t we release the physical tension in our bodies through stretching, breathing, and meditating as we release the spiritual tension by submitting it to GOD?
Now, you may shy away from such terms as “yoga,” “pilates,” or “meditation.” So let me water it down and say SBR- stretching, breathing, and releasing. Stretching creates elasticity in the muscles and tissues, which makes them looser and less prone to injury and tension. Breathing slows down the body, increasing oxygen both to the lungs and bloodstream and creating a relaxed state. Like a natural high. And releasing. Releasing the tensions in the body. Live in the moment. Imagine the soreness or tension as water and allow it to flow out of your body. Let it go. And enjoy the effect it has on your health.
Application: Open your mind (a little). Mediate on GOD during your quiet time to get you spirit where it needs to be. Then spend sometime just stretching your muscles and taking deep, slow breaths to get your body where it needs to be.
Nutrition Tip: Homemade Smoothies. Some use them as meal replacements; some as snacks. But as long as you’re consuming them, you’re doing well. The beauty of a homemade smoothie is you can mix and match fruits, vegetables, protein powers, and a host of other things until you learn what you like. My favorite is: 1 cup of soy milk, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1 cup of fresh/frozen berries, ½ cup of baby spinach (remove stems), 1 scoop of Green Superfood powder, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and a squirt of honey.
And remember homemade is better than (most) store bought, due to their adding sugary sweeteners and preservatives to them.
Exercise Tip: Us what you have. People almost always think they have to go buy the latest fitness videos (P90X or Insanity anyone?) or equipment in their quest to get in shape. Look around your house. You probably have equipment your using for a clothing rack rather than its intended purpose. Or knock the dust off that gym membership and actually show up. As the second most popular brand in soccer says, “Just Do It!”
P.S. That quote (and half of sports) is copyrighted to Nike. Used with permission.
