Body Language

Being Good to Your Body

“The human body is the magazine of inventions, the patent office, where are the models from which every hint is taken.  All the tools and engines in earth are only extensions of its limbs and senses.”

                                  Emerson

“I can do no better than to call it the intelligence of the body, the language of the flesh, which expresses itself in motion.”

                                  P. Zaleski & P. Kaufman

         Human beings are the only animals alive who will climb a shear rock face simply because it’s there; the only ones who will compete in a triathlon in July heat; who will attempt to climb Mt. Everest just to say they did it.  Some of us are strangely driven creatures.  The human body is designed for movement and endurance, but it is not designed to be pushed beyond its limits on a daily basis.  There is a weird dichotomy in this country between those who neglect the body by over-eating and being sedentary, and those who neglect the body by over-athleticism.   Whatever happened to the concept of moderation?

         Several people in my neighborhood run everyday.  I see them, sweat streaming off them like rain, red-faced, obviously miserable and I wonder, what is that all about?  Is it a desire to be fit, or is it addiction to endorphins?  Whatever it is, it is NOT good for their bodies. 

         I pass a ball field on my way to the grocery store and see children, boys about seven or eight years old, in full football uniform—pads, helmets-the whole bit, practicing for the fall season in ninety degree heat that feels more like one-hundred.  What sort of human craziness is that?

         This body that we’re born into is a beautiful and elegant organism, precisely calibrated, and intricately designed.  Given care and compassion, it will continue to function well for more than one hundred years.  There are two women in my Sunday school class who are now in their nineties, and are still intelligent and contributing citizens.  I asked one of them about her secret to healthy longevity and she told me, “I listen to my body.  When I’m hungry, I eat.  When I’m tired, I sleep.  I try to stay active, and keep my mind sharp.”  How sane is that?  This woman was a golfer all her life.  At ninety-five, she’s not going to the golf course, but she stays abreast of the game by watching it on TV. 

         Caring for your body—your only means of conveyance through this earthly plane—is a sacred trust.  Abusing it is like using a diamond to hammer nails.  I hope that today you will tune in to the intelligence of your body, the language of your flesh and express yourself in sane motion.

                                  Keeping the faith,

                                  Jane