Emotions, Energy, & Spirit

Another benefit of exercise is the expression of emotions. Anyone who has exercised regularly can give his or her testimony that exercise makes him or her feel better. Exercise will make your body healthier so it will look and feel better. Besides the obvious reasons for an emotional uplift, there are beneficial chemical and hormonal changes within the nervous system. The simulation of the motor nerves regulates the endocrine glands, which are the neuro-transmitters that make your mood change. When you exercise for at least 30 minutes these neuro-transmitters receive more adrenaline. This release of adrenaline can produce a tranquil feeling of well-being and joy. But adrenaline builds up when you live a sedentary lifestyle. Suppressed adrenaline can cause you to feel tense and aggressive.

The word “emotion” comes from the Latin word emovere, which means “to move.” Therefore, according to Bija Bennett’s book Emotional Yoga (2001), “emotion” means “energy in motion.” With this definition we can see emotion not only as our feelings, but also as the flow of energy or Qi through our bodies. Bennett also reminds us of the Sanskrit word ananda that is translated as “a place beyond all the extremes of emotion.” This peaceful place can be achieved through emotionally and spiritually focused exercises such as yoga.

Furthermore, exercise allows you to sleep and your intestines function better. Also, you’ll have a healthier appetite for food and sexual activity as well as less of a desire for vices you wish to quit. The brain will also receive more blood, which will eliminate mental fatigue.

The lungs bring oxygen to the blood stream and the heart pumps blood to the muscles; therefore, healthy lungs and hearts are very important for holistic exercise. Exercise increases lung capacity and gives more oxygen to the blood; therefore less blood is needed to produce the same amount of energy. Exercise also increases the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and more red blood cells are created. When the blood is more viscous the heart does not have to work as hard. Exercise helps the heart gain the ability to pump a greater volume of blood, so that a lower heart rate can supply your muscles with adequate blood. Consequently, if your heart and lungs are healthy then they can deliver oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide easier and with more efficiency.

According to Chinese medicine the blood is connected to Qi or life energy. The veins that carry blood are related to the meridians that carry Qi. To have healthy meridians and Qi, one must first have healthy blood. Aaron Hoope wrote in an article published Online at www.artofzenyoga.com/kungfumagchi.htm (2005), “If the blood cannot flow smoothly, then the chi will also be unable to flow smoothly.” He goes on to say, “Physical movement assists this vital blood flow.”

Also, exercise directly effects the flow of Qi by opening the chakras, which are the energy centers for Qi. The chakras can be compared to the heart if the Qi is compared to the blood. Each chakra opens in a different way, releases a different type of energy, and has different properties. Some exercises such as yoga focus directly on the opening of chakras and the flow of energy. Nevertheless, almost any exercise can be used to help open the chakras and move energy.

When you do exercise to open the chakras you may find that you can establish clearer connection to the divine or higher energy. This can be an amazing spiritual experience and the enlightening knowledge can bring realizations. It can also allow your emotions to blossom. Feeling good about yourself is important as well. If you love yourself just the way you are then you will care enough to exercise and maintain good health. The love you feel for yourself will also allow other people and powerful beings to love you.

The cultivation, usage, and expression of Qi or mana is the central essence to all life. It is not only the energy that allows us to move but it is the essence that keeps us alive, lets us heal, gives us desires and inspiration. There are particular exercises that have emphasized the act of creating and moving this universal energy, but any exercise can be developed to contain these aspects. The ultimate goal of exercise is essentially to connect to this universal energy with your entire being: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

A healer wrote and posted this quote online at www.healingholograms.com/balancinggroundingintegrating.htm (2004): “Balancing your body, heart, mind and soul is key to becoming whole and realizing your full potential.”

Eastern medicine defines health as the act of “making whole.” Therefore, to be healthy you must balance your physical body, mind, emotions, and your soul’s connection to your spirit. Though this is a lifelong journey, exercise can be part of the first step. But finding the way to begin is not easy for everyone.

The list of types of exercises is infinite. In fact, every person should exercise in a unique way to meet their individual body’s needs. Also, you will benefit from exercising in different ways regularly. The author of Solo Training (2001) Loren Christensen writes, “You cannot do the same thing day after day and expect different results. Do something different.” This course will help you do something different by brushing over each common type of exercise. It will not be able to give instructions about how to do the exercises or about places to learn how to do the exercises. Instead, it will inform the reader of where to find information about their favorite exercise and show how the exercise can balance the physical body, mind, emotions, and soul.

Forward to Warming Up & Cooling Down
Back to The Mind
Back to Exercise Well-Being Main Page