Towards a Better World

TAKING CARE OF ONESELF

Taking care of oneself physically and mentally helps in facing difficulties: “cultivating calm makes one less and less vulnerable to outside influences“, it has “a beneficial effect on health.” This has repercussions on those around us and on society.

KEEPING PHYSICALLY FIT

By establishing habits, we can prevent the effects of a sedentary life and give ourselves the satisfaction of greater well-being.
Doing physical exercise at home
Only insofar as official recommendations allow, one can make use of short outings very close to home. One can also exercise indoors.
In the absence of symptoms of illness in oneself and in the people confined with us, and in strict compliance with hygiene and social distancing guidelines (and therefore also depending on the space available and how close together people live), everyone can gently do some gymnastic movements or adapt their usual practices to the context, and their benefits will continue to be felt. Hatha Yoga, for example, practised with common sense and according to the rules, fosters “nervous balance, a return to calm, the regaining of self-mastery and lasting happiness.”
Breathing consciously
“Good breathing is the necessary condition for the harmonious functioning of the organs, for control of the emotions and for well-being in general.”
Let us recall here a basic technique of Pranayama (mastery of the breath) taken from Naturopathie et Yoga. Beneficial for everyone, it fosters inner peace.
Technique of Complete Deep Breathing
During the day, take frequent deep breaths. According to each person’s capacity, begin with a few breaths, then gradually increase to:

• 10 to 15 minutes in the morning on waking,
• 3 to 5 minutes in the evening at bedtime. To avoid a surge of energy that would delay sleep, the evening session must be short.

Sitting, standing or lying down, in a well-aired room, preferably facing North or East:
– Empty the lungs completely.
– Breathe in: lower the diaphragm and inflate the abdomen slightly; expand the middle part of the chest, spread the ribs without forcing, and gradually swell the chest without exaggerating.
– Breathe out: lower the shoulders while letting the ribs gradually descend; contract the walls of the abdomen to complete the breath.
N.B.: inhalation and exhalation must be done slowly and gradually through the nose. During the exercise, moderation must come first: one should not feel short of breath or that one is hyperventilating, for example. Complete breathing can be combined with the repetition of the sound OM.
Making bodily practices part of one’s daily schedule
A daily programme (fairly flexible, of course) allows us to keep our bearings and manage our lives as well as possible during lockdown. It gives varied activities their place and protects us from a slackness that quickly degenerates into weariness. Making bodily practices part of one’s schedule ensures they continue over time, for our greatest good. Let us keep this encouragement in mind: “Regularity in practice strengthens the will and increases dynamism as well as efficiency.”
In moments when we need courage to persevere, let us remember that taking care of oneself means taking care of others. And also… that “the body is the Temple of the soul”.

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