Moving Meditation

Introduction

“What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us.  And when we bring what lies within us into the world, miracles happen.”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We shall be God’s temples, and God will be the God within us.”

-- Saint Ignatius of Antioch

“Do you not know that your body is a temple for the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own.”

-- 1 Corinthians 6:19

“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”   “I am with you always.”    
-- John 14: 27, Mathew 28: 20    

We all have within us a potential to experience optimal well-being in mind and body.   This potential, The Good Within, can be recognized and realized through the work of Mind-Body Training (MBT).   Our work is a moving meditation, a daily practice of exercises that train the mind to be fully present in the body.  The mind-body becomes the instrument to consciously experience our true nature and inherent potential.   

The training is grounded in the scientific principles that promote optimal well-being in mind-body.  By grounding our work in science and what can be experienced in the visible world, we become more able to deepen our awareness of what is unseen, The Good Within.  Through our training we realize an eternal truth about our being.  We are inherently, infinitely and equally Good Within because we are of God.

The exercises are designed to help us remember our true nature and inherent goodness.   As we move in the exercises our work to realize The Good Within is ultimately an effort to know and feel God’s presence in mind-body.  We experience this presence as a vital energy that moves and inspires us.  We feel stable and strong.  We are willing to persevere while maintaining a sense of ease, a flow to our movements that some call grace.  Our attention is focused and we are ready and able to respond to all that life offers.  By moving with greater awareness of The Good Within we recognize our potential to know optimal wellness in mind-body.

Our awareness of the mind-body as a precious gift unleashes its potential as an instrument to know and feel God’s goodness and love within ourselves, within others and in all of creation.

We may have doubts about ours and others inherent goodness based on what we see with the eyes.  We may believe that optimal well-being is out of our reach.  We may fear that we will never realize our potential or that the goodness we do know will be taken from us.  This mind-set of disbelief and fear is not a testimony to our true and full nature.  It is the result of the limited vision of the ego, the small self that is unaware of its union and oneness with God.  We feel small and alone when we forget that God is with us always.  In this state of perceived separation from all that is good, fear arises.  The fear is uncomfortable and gets our attention.  It brings the mind to the present moment in touch with the body.  In this moment of union in mind-body we have an opening to remember:  God is as close as the breath of life we feel moving within us.   Mind-Body Training can help us remember God is within us and all around us, both near and far.

 As we work, we are better able to let go of the false beliefs that have, in the past, been barriers to our ability to trust in a loving and living God.  Our work together in the exercises is not about how much weight we can lift, how many sit-ups we can do, how fast we can run or how much we weigh.  No effort on our part can add to or take away from what is already given, whole and complete within us.  No effort on our part can bring us closer to God, save us from suffering or restore peace in our hearts.  God does not ask us to bear this burden.  God is already close.  He is within us.  His peace is already ours, given in the gift of life.   God’s gift to us is revealed as an inner source of vital energy, an ability to relate to others, a strong and free will, an open heart and a conscious spirit with clear vision.   This is already ours.  The exercises are the tools to help us to remember and live this truth.
 
 We exercise and discipline the mind-body to know ourselves, others and our world as God knows us.  All knowledge is the way we discover, describe and understand God.  We are not creators of the universe or anything in it.  Our efforts are to discover the tools to see and understand the universe as it already is.  We see and understand more clearly our purpose and place in this world as we are able to live in the truth and light of God’s goodness and love.  Our work is to see and feel The Good Within as it manifests in thought, word and action.  We work to build and strengthen a relationship with God that is personal and current.  We allow God to be the One Source of life and love, to comfort, to guide and support us.  As we come to know God, we come closer to the experience of our true nature and see that God is in all beings and all things.  Our relationship with God is strengthened in knowing ourselves and others fully.

God’s goodness is our inherent and true nature.  We are not God, but we exist in space and time as one small but vital part of the Infinite Goodness that is God.  We are each called to do our part by fulfilling our purpose to bring The Good Within to life.