Core Strength
Out from the Core
(c) 2020 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas
After a Zoom exercise class that my daughter was leading, she commented on my core strength. "You know Mom, you have great core strength."
Without thinking, I quickly replied, "This house is built on rock, Baby. No storm is taking me down!"
We laughed, said our goodbyes, and went on with our day. However, that term - core strength - kept buzzing in my mind. Just what does core strength mean?
Physically, core strength means that the muscles in your back, abdomen, and around your pelvis are strong. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Core exercises train the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony. This leads to better balance and stability, whether on the playing field or in daily activities. In fact, most sports and other physical activities depend on stable core muscles."
In my late 60's, I am taking this as a good sign, but my mind kept wondering into other realms. Does one have spiritual core strength? How do you develop it? What "exercises" do you do?
As a holistic health practitioner, I believe strongly in a balance of mind, body, and spirit. Many people develop their minds and bodies, but spiritually, they are weak. Pondering on this, I began to see my wisecrack to my daughter in a different light.
Life sends us many storms - illness, abuse, poverty, troubled relationships, etc. - why is it that some people can rise above the storms and other get swept away? Could it be that their spiritual core strength gave them what they needed to keep moving forward?
Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor is quoted as saying, "So many people grew up with challenges, as I did. There weren't always happy things happening to me or around me. But when you look at the core of goodness within yourself - at the optimism and hope - you realize it comes from the environment you grew up in."
But how do we exercise and strengthen that optimism and hope? I believe it comes from the realization that somewhere out there in the great unknown, there is someone or something bigger than we are. This "someone" is called by many names. For this article, I will call this "Spirit." What I have learned, over the years, is that those who identify with and have a relationship with Spirit weather life's storms better than those without that connection.
Developing and strengthening our connection to Spirit takes time by ourselves and/or with others of like mind. Time to meditate, pray, or do some form of contemplative practice that allows Spirit to communicate with us. People who are constantly on the go, constantly running from one task to another, constantly at a lack for time to breathe have trouble developing any kind of relationship - physical as well as spiritual.
There are hundreds of contemplative practices. Some of them are actually part of our daily lives, like walking. However, we don't think of them as contemplative. Being mindful of the fact, helps us strengthen our core spirituality. (Think about it...you can do bridge exercises everyday [see here what that is], but if you are not aware of what you are doing - if you are not tightening your muscles at the top of the bridge - then, you will not be strengthening the muscles in the same manner as someone who intentionally tightens theirs; thereby, strengthening their core.)
In addition, any form of exercise must be done regularly, often daily. If a person only gets off the couch to take a walk to the mailbox and back, they will not have the strength to do other more strenuous tasks. The same with someone who only practices a spiritual/contemplative exercise occasionally. If you have, for example, a daily ritual of lighting a candle and visualizing world peace, your spiritual core will be stronger than someone who only goes on a retreat once every five years.
The Center for the Contemplative Mind in Society has a tool - The Three of Contemplative Practices - they share to help people find and understand contemplative practices. The tree can be found here: http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree
If you look at the tree, you will see that the roots are two-fold - awareness and then, communion and connection. Without awareness, we cannot communicate and develop a connection with Spirit. Daily rituals/practices, both alone or with others, are key to a strong spiritual core.
In the week ahead, challenge yourself to do one of the following daily.
Blessings to all.
In my late 60's, I am taking this as a good sign, but my mind kept wondering into other realms. Does one have spiritual core strength? How do you develop it? What "exercises" do you do?
As a holistic health practitioner, I believe strongly in a balance of mind, body, and spirit. Many people develop their minds and bodies, but spiritually, they are weak. Pondering on this, I began to see my wisecrack to my daughter in a different light.
Life sends us many storms - illness, abuse, poverty, troubled relationships, etc. - why is it that some people can rise above the storms and other get swept away? Could it be that their spiritual core strength gave them what they needed to keep moving forward?
Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor is quoted as saying, "So many people grew up with challenges, as I did. There weren't always happy things happening to me or around me. But when you look at the core of goodness within yourself - at the optimism and hope - you realize it comes from the environment you grew up in."
But how do we exercise and strengthen that optimism and hope? I believe it comes from the realization that somewhere out there in the great unknown, there is someone or something bigger than we are. This "someone" is called by many names. For this article, I will call this "Spirit." What I have learned, over the years, is that those who identify with and have a relationship with Spirit weather life's storms better than those without that connection.
Developing and strengthening our connection to Spirit takes time by ourselves and/or with others of like mind. Time to meditate, pray, or do some form of contemplative practice that allows Spirit to communicate with us. People who are constantly on the go, constantly running from one task to another, constantly at a lack for time to breathe have trouble developing any kind of relationship - physical as well as spiritual.
There are hundreds of contemplative practices. Some of them are actually part of our daily lives, like walking. However, we don't think of them as contemplative. Being mindful of the fact, helps us strengthen our core spirituality. (Think about it...you can do bridge exercises everyday [see here what that is], but if you are not aware of what you are doing - if you are not tightening your muscles at the top of the bridge - then, you will not be strengthening the muscles in the same manner as someone who intentionally tightens theirs; thereby, strengthening their core.)
In addition, any form of exercise must be done regularly, often daily. If a person only gets off the couch to take a walk to the mailbox and back, they will not have the strength to do other more strenuous tasks. The same with someone who only practices a spiritual/contemplative exercise occasionally. If you have, for example, a daily ritual of lighting a candle and visualizing world peace, your spiritual core will be stronger than someone who only goes on a retreat once every five years.
The Center for the Contemplative Mind in Society has a tool - The Three of Contemplative Practices - they share to help people find and understand contemplative practices. The tree can be found here: http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree
If you look at the tree, you will see that the roots are two-fold - awareness and then, communion and connection. Without awareness, we cannot communicate and develop a connection with Spirit. Daily rituals/practices, both alone or with others, are key to a strong spiritual core.
In the week ahead, challenge yourself to do one of the following daily.
- write a journal entry before bed
- dance to a favorite song
- sit in silence for five or ten minutes, breathing deeply
- take a 15 minute walk, or
- volunteer for an hour or two in your community
Blessings to all.
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