Strong Body = Strong Mind
“Your body is just as important as your mind,” asserts Shi Heng Yi, the headmaster of Shaolin Temple Europe who teaches self-mastery through the practice of Qi Gong and martial arts. He recommends allocating a minimum of one hour a day for Qi Gong, but better if two. Two hours! I smiled and thought to myself, “Perhaps after we’re all retired.” He also talks about how we live in our head and neglect our body. This, I could not agree with more.
We need both a strong body and a strong mind in order to function well. Instead, we give priority to other areas of our life: work, children, elderly parents, friends, and cohorts. The one thing that we need the most—self-care, taking time to nurture our mind, spirit, and our body—is the priority that often gets jettisoned. I focus on the word “self-care” because while “a wellness program” is all encompassing, it’s a bit abstract. A “self-care” routine reminds you to focus on YOU!
Our body is like a car that takes us places. It needs constant maintenance. Otherwise, it stops and breaks down. If we make time for cars, surely we can make time for our body, which needs rest and tune-ups. An unhappy body with absorbed stressed that’s not released and recalibrated leads to physical, mental, and emotional health issues. An exhausted heart and mind that do not have downtime can only offer cloudy thinking and poor execution.
I’ve been there, juggling home life and an entrepreneurial schedule that was constantly on the verge of spinning out of control. A few years ago, I experienced a health scare due to lack of sleep and nonstop activity. In spite of my daily exercise, I felt utterly worn out. Around that time, two of my best friends who are serious workaholics also experienced health issues. These events jolted me out of my default comfort zone. I had prided myself on my time management skill, but I clearly needed to reassess. For an entire summer, I monitored how I spent my days. I concluded that I didn’t need an overhaul, but I did need several micro adjustments. I did two things to improve my self-care routine.
First, I increased what I call my Time for Me (TFM). In addition to daily exercise, I blocked time on my calendar where I can just be and not do. I am not allowed to give this time slot to anyone (unless it’s an emergency). I use a timer. Second, I look for TFM opportunities every day. A meeting gets canceled. I head to the park to check out the Dahlia Garden. Or when I drive across the Golden Gate Bridge with slow moving traffic, I lower my window and inhale the brisk ocean air. You get the idea.
Everyone has a different definition of self-care. Yours can mean a run, a bicycle ride, yoga, Tai-chi, Qi Gong, meditation, painting, writing, cooking, reading, sitting on the park bench or at the beach, or doing nothing. I’ve discussed this issue at length with friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers. Everyone admits they need self-care, but balks at giving themselves permission to allocate their TFM. It feels self-indulgent. It isn’t. TFM is a gift to yourself. It’s an opportunity to decompress from daily stress, recalibrate, and nourish your body and mind—away from the world. It’s a moment to turn inward and take care of you.
You may not have one to two hours a day for exercise and/or meditation per Shi Heng Yi’s advice, but you can certainly spare 15-30 minutes on your daily calendar. For all that you do for your family, friends, workplace, and community, you deserve your TFM. And after you’ve created that space, you’ll find it easier over time to expand it to an hour or more. Most important is that you give yourself permission and commit to it. And you need a timer. 🙂 Think of it as investing in your long-term wellness, a part of living the life you want. Remember, strong body = strong mind!
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Sources:
• Shi Heng Yi is the headmaster of Shaolin Temple Europe in Otterberg, Germany.
• Shi Heng Yi @ TED Talk