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Looking At Around-the-house Jobs As Being Zen-like Fitness Exercises
Looking for a way to increase muscle size but not by heading to some gym filled with large, sweaty men grunting and groaning over big weights? Well, there’s a way, though many people don’t believe it is so easy. That’s because they are not filled with focus such as found when one does housework while engaging in Zen. Now, think about that. Zen and housework: what’s not to like?
Even though we might think that it is highly unlikely to gain fitness from doing housework, think back to that old movie ‘The Karate Kid.’ Remember that Mr. Miyagi put young Daniel through his paces by making him paint fences and wax cars, for one. And though this sort of activity isn’t really needed, maybe grabbing a 10 gallon wet dry vacuum and focusing on pushing it around can be Zen and fitness at the same time.
It may seem a bit unusual or eccentric at first, but there is a lot of truth to the saying that the body will follow the mind in mutual achievement if it is desired. In other words, the mind can help the body overcome just about everything and this is true in the gym or in the home. So begin practicing calmness in a Zen-like way when doing housework and appreciating it for what it is.
As an example, think about finally going out there and cleaning out the garage of all its junk. Appreciate the simple act of physical labor while doing it, in other words. Try to find the old garden blowers that have been sitting, buried under junk and gathering dust. Go out to the garden and hold them to the side and began walking up and down the rows. Fitness will show up over time when doing so.
The point to all of this is to begin to appreciate the fact that a house environment offers a million different ways in which serene calmness can be cultivated like a Zen master, all while doing a bit of useful housework. It is somewhat metaphysical to think of the journey that the body and the mind will take, but focusing on the beauty of the activity really works when it comes to subtly encouraging fitness.
This is so even for the 80-year-old great-grandmother sitting on the porch doing needlepoint or sewing a quilt together. Practicing and focusing completely on the needlework but appreciating how simple and beautiful it is to do can keep the mind sharp, clear and also can call on the body to bring forth energies that it probably didn’t even know it had. Great Grandma is sure to appreciate it, for sure.
That’s why looking at around-the-house jobs as being Zen-like in their purity can be a very subtle yet effective way to begin gaining a little bit of fitness while not even meaning to do so. Truly, there are plenty of opportunities housework presents for meditation and appreciation. Doing just a little bit can encourage the body to improve its fitness in order to gain even more enjoyment from the act.
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