Your body holds within it all manner of life. It is the vessel in which all things are possible. Whether you treat your body as a temple or and amusement park, all institutions need maintenance. How you choose to maintain your body is entirely up to you. However, environment, genetics, attitude, aptitude and ability must be considered when undertaking any new path of enrichment. 

All too often we find ourselves mired down in the expectations of others and ourselves, feeling as though if we did more, used our time more wisely, could find more hours in the day etc. our lives would somehow get better. The cells, bacteria, viruses, fluids and tissues of our bodies physically respond to our thoughts and our thoughts become our actions or inactions.

Time is at once finite and infinite, our bodies know this instinctively. When we listen to the internal rhythms of our bodies, time can stand still, speed up or slowdown all in the blink of an eye.

Our bodies are constantly trying to communicate with our minds but for some reason we find it easier to “disconnect” and live in the virtual world of our brains. This disconnection seems to be facilitated by the advance of our technological world, a world in which the feeling body plays a secondary role.

Virtual reality gives our brains the ability to create and live in worlds our physical bodies could never realise. This is at the same time exciting and scary. While the brain is busy moving through the virtual world, it is affecting the body by dumping chemicals into it that may or may not be of benefit to it. Our autonomic nervous system is at the mercy of our senses and complies with whatever stimuli it is given.

If we can stay in touch with our bodies irrespective of whether we are in our sympathetic (fight or flight) or parasympathetic (rest and repair), we stand a much better chance of self regulation and keeping our equilibrium intact.

Hormones, which are produced in endocrine glands and are released into the blood stream where they find their targets of action at some distance from its origin, are doing their work continually. Neurotransmitters such as adrenaline, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin (and a plethora of others) are released into the synaptic gap by a terminal of a stimulated presynaptic nerve cell, transmitting a nerve signal to its neighboring postsynaptic nerve cell. Depending what is being released, our emotions respond in kind. It is this internal “Dance of the body” we need to be aware of at all times.

So again I say, amusement park or temple… the choice is yours, I like both myself. Understanding, education, loving kindness and compassion for the connection between our brains and bodies, I believe is key to fulfilment in this life.

“We’re here for a good time, not a long time.” Cruise ship director

Enjoy your journey 🐉