This article is for those of us who sometimes struggle to
show up for their exercise.

About two weeks ago the main building where I live burned
down during the San Diego fires, making my own room not
much more than a smoky campsite without water, telephone,
gas, or electricity. I was living mostly out of my small
Jeep and in the homes of different friends.

There were lots of reasons not to exercise. Simply finding
my sneakers was one of them! My body, mind and emotions
were also going through quite a ringer. My ego kept saying
"you're excused, you need rest, this time you're excused".

However, as exhausted as I was, there was also another part
of me that knew the importance of keeping moving, of
breathing deeply, of strengthening my willpower, and of
taking care of my body. Two events strengthened this
knowing.

First, only a few days after my home burned down, I went to
a group meditation led by a man whose presence strikes me
as one radiating with profound love and wisdom. Before we
began, another participant asked, "Brother, how do we
strengthen our willpower?" Without hesitation the Brother
replied, "Use it."

Everyone laughed, but his words struck deep. I began to
see more clearly that the adversity of the fires was not a
reason to back off my positive habits, but an opportunity
to strengthen them. It was an opportunity to anchor myself
that much more deeply in the practice of prayer and
meditation, in service to others, and in the proper care of
the mind and body. In fact, staying centered in the midst
of chaos is the essence of the spiritual path.

My own personal life coach agreed. This second event was
the clincher, and I committed, after having slacked off for
about three days, to getting back on my exercise routine.
Making a promise to my coach did more than strengthen my
intuitional knowing that this would be "right action", it
required that I organize my days, in the midst of
considerable clutter and reorganizing, around the things
that mattered most.

However, I did not yet know how powerfully affirming this
could be. When my time for exercise came, even with my
intuitional knowing and my commitment to my coach, my body
and mind fiercely rebelled. I've trained for very high
levels of athletic competition, but I've never had to deal
with this kind of physical and mental rebellion. My feet
were heavier than heavy. They felt rooted a long way into
the earth. In spite of breathing exercises and my best
efforts at concentration of my energy through my spine to
my third eye, this rooting persisted.

And so I did the only other thing I knew how to do, I
reached down beneath the roots of who I am and tore them
from the ground. I said to my body, "if you want to be a
tree then you're going to be a jogging tree." It was
amazing. I knew through yet another unique experience that
"I" was something more than simply this body and the mind
and emotions that tried to strangle it. I "knew" this
because I lugged the whole rebellious package up and down
the streets of Encinitas for a solid thirty minutes.

Two days later, the next time I went for a jog, I
experienced something similar, but it was easier. An act
of will had created a new identity, a stronger, more
peaceful, more loving and joyous identity, and there was
freedom in it.

Currently, I am experiencing the blessing of this new level
of emotional freedom and find myself quite grateful for the
fires. A beautiful new energy has been coursing through me
for days. But do not let me wander too far.

The point of sharing this story is to offer an exaggerated
example of the opportunity that lies within every time we
are challenged to get up off our butts and move. Our
bodies and minds and "circumstances" will try to convince
us otherwise, but we must not be defeated!

If you cannot jog, then swim. If you cannot swim, then
bike. If you cannot bike, then stretch. Jog, bike, swim,
stretch, or wiggle your finger. And if you are completely
immobile, then exercise mentally. If you knew me, you'd
know that I was not kidding.

Taking care of our bodies is important and we should do our
very best to do so in a regular way. However, even more
important is the opportunity to create an identity that is
constantly strengthening and spiritualizing its willpower.
Be inspired when your mind and body say no. Reach deeper
and say yes. You can expect blessings to follow.

Peace. I'm taking my body for a jog.

About the Author:

This article was written by Kevin Michael Kiley, a highly
skilled life coach and successful entrepreneur. Realizing
that mastering life's simple fundamentals is not always so
simple, he dedicated himself to supporting and guiding
others as they also experience the challenges and thrills
of a life lived in conscious abundance. Learn how he may be
of service to you.
http://www.kevinmichaelkiley.com