Philosophy - endorphindance.com

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with Lou Ideker

"Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished. Your body is precious… Treat it with care."
— Buddha

"Wisdom is to the soul what health is to the body."
— De Saint-Real

"Some people got to move!"
— Chaka Khan

One time at a party, a guy came up to me and said, "So, how does it feel to have a job where you don't use your brain?" Obviously, he had a very limited idea of what it means to train. With all this emphasis on health and exercise, we seem to be talking a lot about developing the physical self, but it goes deeper than that.

The components of the self are traditionally broken down into Body, Mind and Spirit. Ultimately, it's all the same thing; no part functions independently from the other. Each is a different aspect of being alive, yet it's all entertwined into one person.

The physical component is the most immediate to our experience. It's the raw realm of the senses, the bridge between our inner and outer world. A full workout not only affects us on different levels, it facilitates the interaction among them. There are the primary effects in the body, such as sensory stimulation & processing, an increase in heart rate, bloodflow/Oxygen delivery, and the release of fatty acids & neurotransmitters. Less obvious are some of the ongoing mental effects: the concentration & neuromuscular communication required to execute the movement, the thoughts that enable you to motivate your effort and fine tune your technique. The mind-body connection is essential to quality training; it gets a workout every time we do.

Creativity is also frequently enhanced both during and after a workout. Wait a minute, is that a mental or spiritual effect? Already the lines of classification become blurred. You're enhancing you, and it feels fantastic.

The spiritual ramifications are the most removed and personal. I feel continually amazed and grateful at how often my mood gets lifted & refreshed with exercise. Sometimes my whole perspective, the very tone of my thoughts reaches a heightened clarity, a positive intensity. Many of the ideas for this website came to me while running the reservoir in Central Park. It's as if by putting my body in active mode, mind & spirit follow suit. All systems go. Kind of makes sense, doesn't it?

Our bodies are meant to be moved. They function best with regular, careful use. It feels good! Not only does this regular use help prevent disease, (viral infection, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, etc.) it develops our skill as movers. We are fine tuning our physical perception & sensibility. The body is designed to be a master of adaptation and self-healing. Exercise can help us maximize these natural processes; it allows us to develop this innate body wisdom, and primes us to pay attention to it.

Your body can be a tangible manifestation of how you're living. To change it, you must change something about how you're thinking. Your body will reflect this attention. It is, after all, your physical home. That's you in there! The fully active practice of movement gives you a physical channel to access and develop your entire self as a person.

Whatever you want for your body and your life, I wish you well. May every workout be an exhilarating endorphin dance!