Healthy Mind In A Healthy Body : A happy mind is a healthy mind and a healthy mind is good for the body.
The ancient Roman proverb ‘healthy mind in a healthy body’ holds good even in today’s modern world. Exercise helps us to keep fit and at the same time maintain an alert mind. Regular exercise increases blood circulation in our bodies and that means an increased supply of oxygen to the brains.
Good and sound health would ensure an agile and active mind. Just as a person’s mood and emotions are reflected in a person’s health, a body that is weak and unfit plays havoc on a person’s mental well-being. Recent studies have shown that increasing stress of today’s fast paced life is giving rise to a number of health problems. Major among those are heart and neurological problems. A good health helps a person to keep a positive attitude towards work and life in general.
No matter what hardships and hurdles we come across, life is meant to be positive and happy. To enjoy and appreciate the beautiful things of life we need the energy and zest for life. This can happen only when the body is healthy enough to take on the hardships of life. An overweight person, who cannot walk through the garden path, might not enjoy the fragrance of the flowers or enjoy the sight of a mother bird feeding her chicks, primarily because his mind would be occupied with various ailments he might be suffering from due to his obesity.
When we feel ill, it brings on frustration and this often causes us to be irritated with the smallest mistakes that others make. We become rude and it can start off a chain of unpleasantness all around. As most of our activities are governed by the mind, it is very important to keep our minds fresh, alert and in a positive frame. It is small wonder then that ancient schools of martial arts like Kung-fu, Twaekondo and Kalariapattu, laid great stress on meditation to strengthen the mind.
The dissatisfaction and malice in a person’s mind gets reflected on his face whereas positive thoughts of a healthy mind brings on a glow to the person’s face. Since mind and body are so closely intertwined, both keep effecting each other and unless controlled can set off a cycle of reactions. For example an unfit person is prone to depression and this often results in low self esteem. He then loses the will to improve and only some great motivation can change the situation. If a person can manage to free his mind of unhealthy and negative thoughts like self pity, he can stir up the will to improve his body. That will free him of most ailments that are of psychological origin. Once he is on the path to good health, he will definitely experience an improved psyche.
Health, be it mental or physical is the prerequisite for living a good and fruitful life. It is not wealth, food or good clothes that makes a person happy, but a buoyant health together with a strong mind. Only when a person is holistically healthy does he gain the confidence to tackle any problem that comes his way. Thus, neither the mind nor the body can be neglected. We must constantly strive to keep both body and mind healthy with proper food, rest and exercise.
