By Dan Millman
It has been said that “the lesson is simple, but the student is complicated.”
When people approach me and ask for advice about the complex problems of life,
the first three questions I ask them are: Do you do regular, moderate exercise?
Do you eat a balanced diet? Do you get enough rest? Because when these three
arenas are accounted for, it goes a long way toward resolving various so-called
emotional and spiritual problems by providing a solid foundation for life.
In the field of health, fitness and physical well-being, millions of words are
written each year by experts in diet, health and related fields, and resolutions
are made across America. Yet a good many people, who mean well and have the
best intentions, remain plagued by problems of pain, poor health and low energy.
The problem may not be that they aim too low in terms of their goals and resolutions,
but that they aim too high too soon. After several decades contemplating this
matter, I can offer the simplest, most practical and accessible advice to anyone
desiring to make a positive change in their habits, lifestyle and activities:
Dream big—but start small—and then connect the dots.
Simple is powerful, because we are more inclined to do that which is simple
and accessible. A little bit of something is better than a lot of nothing. I
sometimes say, half-jokingly, that if someone wants to start a fitness program,
they can begin with one jumping jack—every day. That way, they have at
least set aside a time for their exercise period each and every day. And they
can expand from there to two jumping jacks, moving and stretching to music or
learning the Peaceful Warrior Workout, a balanced routine of flowing movement,
deep breathing and tension release that can be completed in less than four minutes
a day (available at peacfulwarrior.com).
The Little Spiritual Things
But so much has been said about exercise and diet I’d like to turn to
a larger kind of health:the health in our relationships and with life itself.
It has everything to do with heart and with spirit.
There are things like owning your own home, a fancy car in the garage, money
in the bank, which may appear big in the eyes of the world that are small in
the eyes of spirit—not because there’s anything wrong with such
things, but because they will one day turn to ashes and to dust.
But we can do little things that appear as big things in the eyes of spirit—simple
acts of altruism and loving kindness that might slip by unnoticed by many, but
shine like beacons when we one day look back and review our life. Things like:
These little things are among the most important spiritual work you can do.
There are other little things you can do to awaken your heart and bring more
spirit into your daily interactions. The heart center, like any muscle, grows
stronger with conscious use. By connecting your heart, consciously, with your
voice and your touch, you bring more spirit to any moment or interaction.
For example, did you know that if you put two well-tuned guitars next to one
another and you pluck, say, the E string on one guitar that the E string on
the other guitar will also start to vibrate? This is harmonic resonance, and
the same thing happens with the human voice. If we speak from our mind, we resonate
the mind of the other person; but if we speak from our heart (simply by feeling
or being aware of our heart-center as we speak) then we resonate the heart of
that other person. The same is true of touch, a primary need in human beings.
Spiritual Touch
As you can certainly appreciate, touch is the first and most primal of all senses
because it provides contact. Young animals who receive no touch often grow depressed,
stop eating and die. This is also true to a large degree with human babies—and
even mature adults.
Shaking hands or other socially acceptable forms of skin-to-skin contact addresses
this universal need, and opens ourselves to one another in ways that words cannot
touch. While we need to respect personal boundaries, we can have a more powerful
healing influence if we consciously connect our heart to our work. This is more
than a sentimental idea or philosophical concept—it may double the effectiveness
of healing work.
The wonderful thing about chiropractic work is it combines professional work
with the intimacy of touch—a perfect opportunity to heal one’s own
heart and make a deeper connection than just mechanical manipulation.
Many chiropractors know and do this intuitively, and naturally people may wonder
how they get such good results and why they enjoy their profession so much.
Consciously connecting the heart to our hands—this little thing—makes
a big difference.
Opening the heart generates a deep and profound emotional healing of the entire
psyche. Even if our external lives don’t change at all, our internal lives
can change instantly. Opening our heart in such simple ways allows us to attain
the highest levels of emotional health and make a higher quality connection
with others.
In this state, we love without caring whether we are loved in return. Therein
lies the core of true health and true connection, bringing more spirit, in simple
ways, into our work and life.
Adapted from “No Ordinary Moments” by Dan Millman.
Dan Millman is a former world-champion gymnast, university coach, martial arts
instructor and college professor. His 12 books, including “Way of the
Peaceful Warrior” and “The Life You Were Born to Live” have
inspired millions of readers in 29 languages. Dan speaks worldwide to people
from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology,
education, business, politics, entertainment, sports and the arts. A motion
picture based on his first book, starring Nick Nolte, will soon be released
in the U.S. and abroad. Dan’s newest book, “The Journeys of Socrates”
has received enthusiastic reviews from readers everywhere. For more information
about Dan’s books, audios and seminars visit peacefulwarrior.com.