I’ve said on the intro page for Module Eight on Body Wisdom that the modern spiritual teachers generally understand the importance to exercise physically.
In the past, a while back, there had been a view that the body was ’second class’, and to be transcended (without being re-included – the mantra of stage development we work from now is ‘transcend AND include’), however, there has since been a recognition of the importance of the body and physical exercise/practice to maintain it. So the purpose of this article is to give a few examples that I know of about spiritual practitioners who engage in physical activity…
Ken Wilber, if you go to his website at kenwilber.com, demonstrates how he has kept in shape through an integral practice including body modules.
Andrew Cohen, I know also participates in yoga and has an interest in healthy diet. Whilst at their EnlightenNext London centre, I was interested to ask one of the colleagues there about the vegetarian diet that they put on in their restaurant and the reasoning behind it. Whilst I wondered whether a respect for animals may be a reason – and I don’t know that it wasn’t, the essence and prime motivation was very much on being in keeping with promoting good health.
Deepak Chopra, when asked how he keeps himself able to replenish his faculties as he ages, replies; “I exercise my mind and my body”.
Wayne Dyer; “I can’t let an old man move into my body”.
Gary Hawke, our colleague at Whole Life Whole World, apart from including a Body element into The London Integral Life Practice Group’s programme (as ILP typically does), also goes to the gym regularly. And, of course, Peter Ragnar has his own unique array of practices. Readers of our Strength for Life website will have been introduced to his no messing around approach to physical health mastery. Our other colleague, John Christian, also takes regular exercise at the gym, in yoga, and follows an informed dietary approach which, for him, includes nutritional supplements. No such denial or renouncing of the body to be seen!
So almost everywhere we look nowadays you’ll see philosophers, thinkers and spiritual teachers who are putting the notion of denying the body to bed, and seeking out expert ways to honour it – incidentally, a development movement which is making new discoveries and reaching new heights all the time now.
As also mentioned on the intro page, this doesn’t mean nobody will ever get ill. Other forms of illness, sadly, do seem to be able to still occur, and we are aware that Ken Wilber is himself experiencing a particular condition. The point is, though, that the vast majority can be side-stepped by a sensible, conscious approach, for, as I pointed out, it is Degenerative Diseases that most people in a modern society are dying from, and most of this oriented around one’s own activity – and that is most definitely something that we can have power over.
…and as they say in the ILP Book, this physical body of yours is the only vehicle you can use to become enlightened in anyway.
I for one am grateful to welcome to a new cultural, body-including approach to spiritual practice and activity.
Best wishes for your health and physical vibrancy and power.
James Blacker
Tags: Andrew Cohen, Deepak Chopra, Degenerative Diseases, Ken Wilber, Peter Ragnar, spiritual teachers, vegetarian diet, Wayne Dyer
