LIVING IN HARMONY - Chapter Five

Empowering Children to Become World Harmony Builders

...Fitness

Chapter Inspiration:

-Running ultra-distance races has given me a wealth of first-hand experience of God‘s compassion. On my own, attempting to run such long distances, I would be nowhere, but when God‘s grace descends, I am able to complete the distance.‖ -Suprabha Beckjord

-Challenge the fear of trying. You will succeed.‖ -Sri Chinmoy

-Health is not simply the absence of sickness.‖ -Hannah Green

-Laughter is by definition healthy.‖ -Doris Lessing

-Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.‖ -Thomas Dekker

-Happiness gives us energy which is the basis of health.‖ -Adele Davis

-By health I mean the power to live a full, adult, living, breathing life in close contact with... the earth and the wonders thereof- the sea - the sun.‖ -Katherine Mansfield

Chapter Story:

Suprabha Beckjord (1956- ) was born and grew up in Washington, DC. Today Suprabha is one of the greatest runners in the world. Suprabha is not known for the speed of her running, but rather for her endurance. She has run races of up to 3100 miles! During her career, Suprabha has set four world records, including in the 1,000-mile, in the 2,700-mile, and in the 3,100-mile races.
Suprabha started running in 1978, at the age of twenty-two, because of the encouragement of her meditation teacher, Sri Chinmoy. The first race she ever ran was a four-mile race. About two years later she ran her first marathon. In the following year she tried a 47-mile race. In 1986, she was inspired to run a 200- mile race in honor of her meditation teacher‘s athletic accomplishment of lifting two hundred pounds with one hand.

Ever since then Suprabha has been practicing ultra-distance running. (Ultra-distance running is running over very long distances.) In fact, she has been doing it for 23 years! In addition to staying physically fit, Suprabha gets a special energy and joy from running. She keeps running because she loves it. She never intended to enter so many races or to become a champion, but that is exactly what happened. In 1998, when Suprabha set the world record for the 3100-mile race, it took her just under 50 days.

Suprabha‘s running is a great example of how fitness can bring us health, joy and a sense of accomplishment. Running, like other fitness activities, can also bring us many other benefits, such as more energy, new ideas, and a positive attitude. Suprabha‘s accomplishments in running can be a great inspiration to us, even if we don‘t run. The lesson we can learn from her running is to find a fitness activity that we like and stick with it. If we keep practicing it, it will help us in many ways. Find your own favorite sport, and stick with it!

Chapter Overview:

Physical fitness is an essential part of being a healthy and happy person. There are many kinds of fitness activities, including aerobic activities such as running and brisk walking, strengthening activities such as push-ups or sit-ups, flexibility activities such as stretching, and coordination activities such as throwing or kicking a ball.

There is also another kind of fitness, which is -mind-body‖ fitness. This type of fitness has the goal of bringing our body and mind into harmony, so that we can have positive energy in our day-to-day lives. This chapter will focus on mind-body fitness, as it is a type of fitness that can most easily and quickly help us to bring harmony into our being. It is important to note that all of the kinds of fitness are important, as is good nutrition. If we practice all the different kinds of fitness, as well as good nutrition, we can be assured of being healthy, happy and well-balanced in the physical, emotional and spiritual parts of ourselves.

Chapter Lessons:

Lesson #1 - The Five Tibetan Rites
Tibetan Buddhist monks say that their long lives are due to the daily performance of these five simple exercises, which they have practiced for hundreds of years.

a) Gently spin yourself around clockwise. Keep your eyes fixed on one point. This will focus your energy and keep you from getting dizzy. After each revolution, pause briefly. Repeat seven times.

b) Lie flat on your back. Then raise your legs and head off the ground at the same time. Gently lower your head and legs back down to the ground at the same time. Repeat seven times.

c) Sit with your knees forward and your feet behind you. Keep your toes folded underneath you so they are not pointing straight back. Begin with your head bent forward and downward. Then gently bend your head backward, arching your back slightly. Pause briefly, then return your head to the starting position by slowly bringing your head forward and lowering your head. Repeat seven times.

d) Sit with your legs straight out in front of you, your feet together, and your hands on the ground somewhat behind you. Make a bridge by raising yourself upward on your hands, using your feet for balance, and arching your back. Pause briefly then return to your original sitting position. Repeat seven times.

e) With your face pointing downward and your hands and knees on the ground, straighten your legs and push your buttocks upward, making an angle with your body. Pause for as long as is comfortable, then return to the starting position with your hands and knees on the ground. Repeat seven times.

Note: Start out by repeating the five rites seven times each. You can try to increase your repetitions (as time allows) to eventually reach twenty-one - or as many as you feel comfortable with.

Lesson #2 - Hatha Yoga
Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means ‗union.‘ Yoga is a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices, all aimed at integrating mind, body and spirit. Its goal is to achieve a state of enlightenment (wisdom) or oneness (connection) with the universe. What is normally thought of as ‗yoga‘ in our Western part of the world is really Hatha Yoga, one of the many paths of yoga. These different paths of yoga are simply different approaches and techniques that all lead to the same goal of enlightenment and oneness.

Yoga is not a religion, but a spiritual practice, or sadhana, which does not require any specific belief system to participate. The philosophies of yoga are universal and can be incorporated within any belief system. The goal of Hatha Yoga is to arrive at union of the mind, body and spirit through a practice of yoga postures, yoga breathing, body gestures and internal cleansing. These body-centered practices are used to purify the body, cultivate prana (breath) and activate kundalini, the hidden energies of the body. Yoga, therefore aims at a state of union between the body and the mind, as well as between our individual selves and the universe. When engaging in the practice of Hatha Yoga, the yogic practice of non-violence should be adhered to.

There are hundreds of asanas, or poses, in Hatha Yoga. The Mountain Pose is one of them.
The Mountain Pose: Stand with your feet about eight to twelve inches apart. Begin with your hands folded in the center of your chest where your invisible heart is located. Try to stand straight and tall with your spine in one vertical line, and your shoulders relaxed, arched down and back. Imagine that your feet are rooted in the earth, and that from the earth you are getting strength and stability.

Close your eyes and breathe in. Imagine that you are breathing in the positive energy of the earth. Imagine that this positive energy is flowing upward from the earth through your feet, up your spine and throughout your whole body. As you breathe out, imagine that you are breathing out anything you don‘t want in your system - restlessness, anger or any other negative emotion. Imagine that these things are flowing right out into the sky and out into the universe. Repeat this type of breathing several times. Then gather your energy where your hands are folded - in your invisible heart. With your eyes still closed, pay attention to how you feel right now. Is it peaceful, energized, relaxed, and released? Try to name the feeling you are experiencing, so that you can remember it. When you are ready, open your eyes and just rest for a few moments.

(Note: The primary sources for the background information in this lesson are the writing of Timothy Burgin and the instructions on Yogabasics.com. For more information go to www.yogabasics.com.)

Lesson #3 - Running
Start practicing your running so that you can take part in the World Harmony Run and maybe even run with the Harmony Torch. You can have fun practicing by setting up real races and timing yourself over the same distances. Try always to beat your own previous record - that is the real victory - those who are faster than you can be your inspiration, they don‘t have to be your competition.

Discussion Questions:

a) How do you feel after doing some of the exercises in this chapter? Do you feel any changes? Do you feel better? What is your favorite lesson or exercise?

b) Congratulations! Now you are on the road to becoming an expert on your own body. Why do you think it is important to be in tune with your body?

c) Can you think of reasons why doing these kinds of exercises with your body might help your mind? You can make a list of your answers.

Supplemental Activities:

• Watch the video documentary that was prepared about Suprabha: -The Spirit of a Runner‖ - by Jessie Beers-Altman or invite Suprabha as a guest speaker (Get in touch with the World Harmony Run coordinators to organize this).

• Aerobics: Aerobic activities such as running, walking, or playing sports are extremely important for overall fitness. They help keep our heart and lungs strong, improve our circulation, and cleanse our blood. Which aerobics activities do you practice? Try to practice some aerobic activity each day or at least three times per week.

• Strength: Strengthening activities such as push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, or working with weights, help us to maintain healthy muscles. If our muscles are not used they can become weak. Strong muscles not only improve our blood flow and keep our back and joints healthy, they are very useful too! Practice a few strengthening activities such as push-ups or sit-ups.

• Nutrition: Good nutrition is essential to being physically fit. It is also crucial to maintaining emotional balance and mental sharpness. Let‘s ask everyone in the class to try to go one week without eating any kind of sugar. During this time, try to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. After one week, how many students in the class were able to do it? Discuss how those who did it feel. Also discuss any changes you noticed in your routine, in your sleep patterns, and in your ability to do your schoolwork.