American Fitness Professionals & Associates

By: Rozalind Gruben FitPro, June/July 1998

Fitness instructors are typically familiar with the components that make up physical fitness and some are even knowledgeable about the psychology involved in competitive sports. Many, however, are unaware of the powerful influence emotional well being can have upon their training and health. Before any attempts can be made to improve this area of total fitness it is necessary to first understand what constitutes sound emotional health. Spirituality as a part of total fitness Once any degree of study into psychology is undertaken the subjects of philosophy, religion and spirituality, inevitably become involved.

Philosophy describes the various viewpoints and perceptions a person adopts as a result of having sought wisdom or knowledge. Religion represents the formal interpretation of a tribal, or group, perception, with all its accompanying rituals and traditions. Spirituality is different from religion in that it describes only a general awareness, and connection to, esoteric concepts without necessarily transforming them into a formalised set of practices and doctrines. To ‘be spiritual’, in its most colloquial and simplistic sense, is to be aware that there is a bigger meaning to life than climbing the proverbial career ladder and a greater intelligence governing the planet than the Telly-tubbies!

Few people would question the existence of our five senses of sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell, yet most live their lives unaware of our inner senses of vision, feelings, intuition and receptiveness. If we are to honour the true meaning of total fitness some attention needs to be paid to these vital links of inner awareness. Many individuals who believe they embrace ‘fitness’ are, in truth, only seeing the tip of the iceberg as they focus their attention solely around physical exercise. Broadening one’s vision allows the depth and breadth of total fitness potential to be fully explored. By opening the ‘inner eye’ we become receptive, not just at our body’s attempts to communicate its needs on a cellular level, but also to the support and guidance we can offer ourselves. Personal development coaches, religious leaders, philosophers and spiritual gurus alike have all been telling us for centuries that the answers to everything we ever need to know can be found within us.

The key is to get in touch with that limitless pool of wisdom. This divine guidance is often experienced as ‘intuition’ or a ‘knowing’. Some listen with an attuned inner ear recognising the value of such help whilst others ignore these ‘thoughts’, casting them aside as trivial, using the word ‘coincidence’ to describe something they don’t understand or can’t explain. Sadly, the world is filled with individuals who are so blinded to their inner vision and so separated from their spiritual connection, that a gaping void exists within their being. Feeling incomplete, yet unable to identify what is missing, these people often make futile attempts to fill the empty, aching void in any number of inappropriate ways. Alcohol, drugs, overeating, excessive physical training and even materialism are all manifestations of spiritual bankruptcy.

The fast pace of life with its noise, distractions and misplaced competition is the enemy of serenity. Taking time in solitude and quiet can be the soul’s healer and the doctor of disquiet. Each moment of our lives is filled with choices. These choices are more far-reaching than circuit training versus going for a run, or pasta versus bananas; they include the freedom to choose our feelings. The feelings we experience are direct results of our attitudes and perceptions. By expanding our levels of knowledge and awareness we become empowered to change these two predisposing factors. Choosing love or fear Many great philosophers have spoken of all emotions as belonging to either love or fear and that these are, in essence, the only two emotions.

It is said that all other subtle diversities such as jealousy, anger, joy or optimism are rooted from either one or the other of these core states. Approaching life from a place of love drastically alters our perceptions of situations and our attitudes towards those perceptions. As a result, the feelings we choose to experience will also change. Fearful individuals whose lives are dictated to by mis-education (good health is just a matter of luck), negative past programming (you have no luck), and the distorted outlooks of the masses (old age and pain go together like horse and carriage) live in a constant state of fear. Their negative responses to situations further exacerbate their chosen victim role, generating yet more fear.

To move from a place of fear to one of love is to move from universal separateness to spiritual connection. It is our psychology that selects our feelings and our physiology that obediently complies, be it with tears or laughter. In order to become fit, in the holistic sense of the word, we must tap into the limitless love which lies within each and every one of us. Self-love - the ultimate challenge Loving the self unconditionally is, for many, the hardest step of all to truly take. Yet it is the sacred treasure, the golden key, that unlocks all that we aspire to be. For some, the motivation to exercise comes solely from seeking aesthetic approval from others. They may perceive their value to be dependent upon how they look. Without it the empty chasm within will prove fertile ground in which seeds of fear will germinate and grow. The more we love ourselves the more love we will discover we have until it overflows to touch and heal others around us. The light it sheds will enable us to view situations more clearly, our perceptions and attitudes will change, and the feelings we choose will become positive. Relationships with others, especially ‘primary’ relationships can pose the second greatest challenge.

Some of the strongest research in the area of PIN shows the devastating effects distressing personal relationships can have on immune functioning. A trap many people fall into is relying on their primary relationship to form their identity. Emotional health is heavily dependent on recognition of ones true authentic self and unique identity, independent of the connections with others. Our thought and our help The extent to which our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and feelings have an effect upon the health of the organism appears to be immeasurable. In the words of Deepak Chopra (Quantum Healing, 1990) “Our cells are constantly eavesdropping on our thoughts and becoming changed by them”.

The immune system, which is the bedrock of our ability to sustain health, can become so disturbed by mental negativity as to be rendered virtually non-functional. By shifting our focus, from an almost exclusive attention to physical culture, to one of a more holistic nurturing of the whole self, greater levels of health and joy of living can be realised. Pursuing the causes of radiant, vibrant health, in exchange for the commonly held pre-occupation with disease, is also a far more positive approach to self-care and yet only requires a simple change of focus. Individuals who have been able to overcome their fears when faced with terminal illness and instead connected with their own inner love, have demonstrated extraordinary abilities to transcend their disease. It is not advocated, however, to wait for such a crisis before initiating such personal development! As Dr Bernie Siegel so eloquently puts it in his book Love, Medicine and Miracles (1986), “Everyone can be an exceptional patient, and the best time to start is before getting sick”.

The components of emotional fitness The diversity of skills needed to accomplish true health and total fitness in these modern times are, in many ways, similar to those needed to achieve physical fitness. Strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, reaction time and above all, balance. Strength We need strength of purpose; the ability to ‘walk our talk’ even when ridiculed by friends and family. Strength enables us to exercise self-discipline, without which we can never be free. According to Caroline Myss, in her lecture, Why People Don’t Heal (Sounds True Recordings 1994), most addictions are rooted in a lack of congruency between the head and heart.

They result from an inability to live an authentic existence that accurately reflects and expresses ones beliefs. It is helpful to remember that when sedentary people, who are adopting the ’slow suicide’ diet, antagonise you about your healthful regime, they do so only as a form of self-defence. Setting an example is an extraordinarily powerful way to teach. Allowing your actions to speak, rather than getting involved in verbal disputes or compromising your habits, is often the most productive form of communication in helping people to change.

Such a non-confrontational approach is also less draining on you. Flexibility This allows us to adapt to situations. Few things in life can be guaranteed but change is one of them. As life poses us with a constant onslaught of ever changing circumstances it requires a willingness from us to be adaptable. It is the rigid twig that snaps under the strain of blustery winds, while the supple sapling easily bends and weathers the passing storm.

It does not necessitate a compromise of beliefs but a willingness to flow with the processes of life. When strength and flexibility are combined we find the capacity to accept what is, which, of course, is not the same as to condoning it. Endurance Endurance is needed to cope with the on-going challenges of life, including the exhausting processes involved in our personal growth and development.

Endurance has its roots in truth, as only that which is true will endure. Love is truth, and its guiding light will ensure the road ahead is always manageable. Body awareness As we reach greater levels of body awareness we become better able to meet its needs. Where once the shouting of acute disease was required to catch our attention, gentle whispers of requests from the body for more adequate sleep, better nutrition and cleaner air, can be heard. Fear of experiencing distressing feelings can lead to people burying them. The longer such feelings are denied the more they become magnified, like a coin in a pond.

Courage and awareness allow for the recognition and receptiveness of all feelings and facilitates their appropriate emotional expression. Reaction time The survival of all species is dependent upon having quick reactions and the development of this skill is vital if we are to ‘duck and dive’ in order to avoid indoctrination by the brainwashing of advertising. Cunning marketing ploys are frequently disguised as education and an alert awareness is needed to avoid being ‘taken in’ under false premise. We also need to keep vigilant in monitoring our own thoughts so that we can curtail any negative self-programming. As Dr Wayne Dyer writes in his book Pulling Your Own Strings (1991), “Our minds are capable of storing an incredible amount of data. While this is a blessing in many ways, it can also be a curse when we find ourselves carrying around memories which can do nothing but hurt us. Your mind is your own; you have that terrific capacity to push its victimising memories out of it. And with determination and alertness, you also have the power to help others stop victimising you.”

He goes on to say, “If you use your imagination, you will find innumerable ways to victimise yourself. But by applying your imagination in constructive ways, you can, by the same token, find the means to eliminate your victim status. The choice is up to you”. Balance Balance is the skill of embracing all aspects of total fitness, including the psychological, spiritual as well as the physical. It involves becoming neither obsessive nor personally selective. Life is a classroom There are as many contrasting philosophies about living as there are people. The most popular concept, that runs as a common theme through many of the world’s religions and amongst most of the great philosophers, is that our lives are designed to act as an ongoing series of opportunities for the acquisition of wisdom.

It is commonly believed that, as John-Roger and Peter Mc Williams write in their book Life 101 (1990), “life is a classroom” and is “our source of knowledge”. According to David P. Gardner “we learn simply by exposure to living” and “the fact is that we are being educated when we least know it”. Dorgan tells us “life is like eating artichokes, you’ve got to go through so much to get so little”. J Scott Peck was, no doubt, considering this when he began the first sentence of his book, A Road Less Travelled, with the short, but poignant sentence - Life is difficult. Weird or wired The term ‘new age’ is now a modern catch phrase used to describe anything that is faintly zany or in conflict with conventional thinking.

In fact the approaching next millennium certainly does seem to be bringing with it a shift in the way people are viewing things; including the value of taking personal responsibility for their own health and fitness. There has never been a better time to promote our industry, nor a more perfect pause in the breath of humanities development, to help enlighten the misled and misinformed. If we are to rise to meet this need it is vital that we exist as examples of the benefits of such self-care and not as worn down, fraught and frenzied exercise fanatics. To ensure that the value of what we have to offer is recognised, a balanced and holistic approach to our own well being is needed. This includes nourishment for the soul as well as the body and strengthening of purpose as well as muscles. References are available upon request. Rozalind Gruben holds a professorship in Applied Nutrition and Health Science from the American Health Institute.

She is a part time lecturer, author and works extensively with a broad spectrum of older adults. Roz is available as a speaker and as a Personal Development and Lifestyle Consultant for both individuals and groups. For more information on this aspect of her work, you can contact her on 01903-746-572 (UK).