While our Western culture finds a way to commercialize every holiday, we have a choice to create a more enlightened experience. I invite you to consider Valentine's Day as a "holi" day, one that is about relationships and the heart.
We've been told that in order to have a healthy heart, we need to perform cardiovascular exercise at least three times a week for at least twenty minutes, and it must be done within our target training range of 65% to 85% of our maximum heart rate. Walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, rollerblading, cross country skiing, swimming, hiking, and stair climbing all fit the bill. We've learned that eating a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet decreases our chances of developing heart disease. While this information is important and helpful, we must expand our understanding of what keeps our heart healthy. So far, we have only explored the physiological aspects of a healthy heart, and this has led to people doing whatever they can to get through an aerobic workout. We jog with headphones, read magazines while cycling, and watch TV from our treadmills, all to make the time go by faster. We do what we're supposed to do, but reap minimal benefits compared to exercise that is more inwardly directed. This kind of exercise experience is fine once in a while. Sometimes we just need to blast the music and forget about our stressors. However, this should not be the "vanilla".
In a holistic approach to fitness, we recognize that it's no longer enough to just go through the motions. We need to go through the emotions! This means getting in touch with our feelings so we are more able to articulate them. The heart is the spiritual energy center which has to do with love and relationships. In our relationships, meeting the emotional needs of others while having our emotional needs met creates a healthy heart. Forgiveness, compassion, gratitude, and loving-kindness all help us to create a happy heart, as do laughter, love, and lightness. We can jog every day, but if the heart holds negative emotions such as anger, resentment, or guilt, it will never be in a healthful state. These negative emotions rob us of our energy. And often they manifest themselves somewhere in the body, negatively affecting our health.
Mindfulness invites us to be present for whatever feelings arise, whether they bring pleasure or pain. Mindfulness asks that we simply create a space to be with these feelings without judgment. As we become more aware of our feelings, we can consciously choose how to handle them. When we start to identify, label and move through negative emotions, we free ourselves. As a result we attract more love, joy, peace, and happiness into our lives. This contributes greatly to the health of the heart and to our overall state of well-being. So this Valentine's Day, instead of either getting drawn into or irritated by the commercialism, consider this. What relationship in your life is calling for your care and attention? What negative emotions do you need to acknowledge and release so that you can feel more energized? Who do you need to forgive (and that may be yourself) so that you can move forward, grow, or heal?
May you move to the next step along your path with grace and ease.
Cheryl Jones-Reardon
http://www.themindfulpath.com
Cheryl Jones-Reardon, holds a Master's degree in Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut and a Certificate in Spirituality from Saint Joseph College. She has completed extensive training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Cheryl is a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Health Careers at Manchester Community College. She presents wellness programs for a number of local hospitals and has a private practice as a fitness and wellness coach in South Windsor, CT. She is a continuing education provider for the American Council on Exercise and is the author of Mindful Exercise. For more information visit http://themindfulpath.com
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