Exercise As A Spiritual Practice...

   Exercise, to me, is a spiritual practice. Your physical body is supposed to be your temple. By taking care of your physical "shell", pushing it to the limit in positive ways is truly divine.
   When I am exercising, before I break a sweat, it can be difficult and challenging. Once I pass the point of breaking a sweat, as my body temperature begins to rise higher and higher, and sweat is pouring down my face, I feel a natural high that to me, can only be described as sublime.
   Every time I have an exercise session, I push my body harder and farther. To feel the pleasure and the pain from an intense and grueling workout, I know that these feelings only come with possessing a physical body. I think to myself that when I die, all sensations of the physical body will cease to exist, and I will only be pure spirit. So in knowing that, i appreciate the physical sensations that I am blessed to be able to experience now.
   The pain turns into intense gratification when I surpass the 3.75-mile-mark that I attained just the day before. As I push myself farther this time, I smile inwardly with pride. This is a very spiritual practice to me. An active form of meditation if you will, where my only competitor is myself.
   This is overwhelmingly beautiful to me. For a brief moment, I feel that I am one with God. I am at peace with myself and my surroundings, and all is right with the world.
   When I walk out of the gym, I try to take that feeling with me, carry that inner peace and sense of accomplishment with me wherever I go. My exercise sessions are my special time where I am competing with myself, feeling the "physical" to the fullest, and communing with my God. Yes exercise, to me, is a very spiritual practice, and I wouldn't trade all of the pain and grueling sweat for anything in the world!!!