Taking Care of Your Temples and MOVE
Welcome to our Guest Blogger Abby Lewis: Abby has a degree in Health and Wellness and her massage therapy license. She is the author of Blossoming out of the Valley and producer 0f A Breath~in Stillness and has her own business “Healing Naturally”
One of the ways we take care of our temples is through “moving” our bodies. The importance of regularly exercising our bodies is widely-known. Many of us even know that for optimal health, we should exercise for at least thirty minutes three times per week or more. But if we know the importance of exercise, then why don’t many of us do it?
It seems that there are two extremes when it comes to exercise. First, there are those who narrowly view exercise as a means to achieving an “ideal” physical body. Though there may be some thought to the health benefits involved, the overall motivation is superficial. In many cases, the amount of time and energy put into achieving bodily perfection is taken to an unhealthy extreme.
On the other extreme are those who have no motivation or commitment to care for their physical bodies. Very little time or energy is put toward taking care of their temples. Both of these extremes are out of balance and do not demonstrate a godly respect for ourselves.
Though most of us probably fall somewhere in between these two extremes, I have observed that for many people the word exercise often spurs negative feelings. At the beginning of my journey, this was definitely true for me. Exercise seemed like hard work or a chore, so I rarely did it; however, as I sought God’s direction on how to better take care of my temple, He gave me a different perspective that eliminated all of the pressure of “exercise.” Now, instead of “exercise,” I prefer to think of it as “movement.” Exercise seemed to imply an unwelcome task, but perhaps movement could be a way of life. I was hopeful.
Somehow, shifting the way I thought about it opened the door to new opportunities to care for my temple. I realized that it didn’t really matter how I moved, just that I did move. Suddenly, moving my body in a healthy way was not just hitting the gym, but could be anything active that I enjoyed. As I continued to soak up God’s love for me during my times of stillness with Him, I developed a greater respect for the body that God created just for me, and I began to want to keep my temple healthy and strong through regular movement.
I didn’t want to be unhealthy anymore—to have painful diseases, to age quickly or to be tired all of the time. I wanted to take responsibility for my own body. Additionally, God revealed to me new ways that I could incorporate movement into my daily living. The freedom I experienced in this was just what I needed to commit to caring for my temple daily. I realized that I didn’t have to commit to one specific routine anymore; I was free to move in all sorts of ways. My body would begin to heal.
Do you have a negative view of “exercise,” or lack motivation to care for your body? Or, are you obsessed with creating the “ideal” body through exercise? What types of enjoyable movement could you incorporate into your daily routine?
As you think about ways to move your body, think about what you enjoy. Some people enjoy the structure of a regular “exercise” program. Others thrive with more freedom. Seek God for wisdom about how best to incorporate movement into your life each day. Feel free to start out small. You could certainly go for a run, play a sport or attend a fitness class. But, you could also move by cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, taking your pet for a walk or playing in the backyard with your kids. Or, take a walk outside and enjoy God’s presence in nature.
Do not focus on how you will keep up this routine for the rest of your life. Simply find something each day that you enjoy that gets your body moving. Not only will your physical health improve, but your mind and spirit will ease as well. Allow God’s great love for you to motivate you to care for your temple. Demonstrate the love and respect you have for yourself—a person specially created by God who has a unique purpose to fulfill with this one physical body you have been given.
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