Being healthy from the inside to the outside is a lot of work. You need to practice. Smart resistance training for the big and small muscle groups. Cardiovascular training for 30 to 40 minutes at least 4 times a week. Efficient stretching regimens. Sitting, standing, and slow moving meditations. Good nutritional standards. Breathing fresh air. Daily challenges for the mind and spirit. Enough rest. And fostered relationships with your loved ones, friends, and neighbors.
That’s a lot of work! If we are going to spend so much time and energy doing these things, we need to make sure that our progress serves a greater purpose than simply losing weight.
I use a beautiful idea to motivate myself, which I think I heard first from one of my friends, Limor, when I was a teen. This idea might originate in the Kabbalah, an ancient, esoteric Jewish text which is said to reveal how the universe works.
The idea is simple. There are three kinds of people, or three kinds of souls, in this world. The first kind only takes. They think only of themselves. These people do the least amount of good in the world, and are the least happy in the long run.
The second kind only gives. They are on the right track, but they ignore their own needs. This causes them to burnout, and then, over the long run, they can’t afford to give at all. They are easily depleted. They lack balance, just like the first kind.
The third type of soul is the best and most balanced one. He or she keeps learning and building themselves in order to give.
We should all strive to be the third kind of person, especially when it comes to our health. Knowing when to take time off and invest in yourself, and also knowing when to share your love and give to others, is a difficult, but important decision we all must face. A person who makes this decision wisely will do the most good in the world, because they take care of themselves, and then they take care of everyone else, and they don’t burnout.
Our goal with mind-body health is to first build our center, so that we can help others from a place of strength and wisdom.
Recently, the Boston Globe published an article called "Five things you should know about Steve Grossman." Steve is one of my students, and he works every day to help others here in Massachusetts and all over the United States. If not for his special soul, his wife Barbara and supportive family, good nutrition, and the tailored mind-body routine, you can be sure that he would not have the energy and strength to do as much work and good as he does, at this time in his life. How else could he be on so many top business lists around the world!
Steve knows better than anyone what it means to invest in something to help it grow and do more good for people. That’s exactly what mind-body training does for the human body, mind, and spirit. That consistency and knowledge and patience leads to success.
Happy Stretching, Deep Breathing & thank you Steve Grossman!
To read the article in the Sunday 10/11/2015 issue of the Boston Globe, click the link below and press continue to see #4 & #5: