'YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE OF GOD'









Pic.: Vinod Krishnan

I was on way to my Tai Chi class, this morning. While waiting at the signal, my eyes fell on a large banner relating to health drive. “TAKE STAIRS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY.” Well, of the many things written on that banner, I could read this one, in that brief moment…

“If you can give at least 15 minutes, every day, for your body’s health, that is the greatest service you could do to yourself,” a lady told me, later in the class, “Our health should be in our own hands, not in our doctors’.”

How true it is! We run to doctors for silliest of the reasons… spend thousands of rupees on tests, swallow loads of pills… All this makes our situation only worse!

But, then, why blame doctors for our own sins? My own doctors have repeatedly advised me – with all the gentleness and honesty in their hearts – to follow these very basic and simple things in life:

Eat sensibly…

Exercise – whatever way it may be – for at least 15 minutes a day…

Take sufficient rest…

Live with a purpose…

Have some good friends…

Stay off the negative influence…

Nurture a few good hobbies which keep you happy…

Stay off any self-defeating habits…

Spend time with your family…

Thank...

Pray.


Books, tapes, videos, Workshops and T.V. shows have told me the same thing, repeatedly…

So, what the lady meant when she said, “Our health should be in our own hands, not in our doctors’ – was: “Let’s not blame anyone for our health; let’s take responsibility for it.”


Many a times, a question comes and stares at me: “How can you truly ‘achieve’ and ‘enjoy’ anything worthwhile, if you cannot focus on your very own health?”

That is the time I realize the true meaning of the old adage: “Health is wealth.”

So, as I was allowing the meaning of the line in the banner – ‘TAKE STAIRS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY’ – to sink in, I was getting more and more convinced, that, if I cannot focus on my own body, for at least fifteen minutes a day – in whatever manner – then, I do not deserve to be healthy…

With that, I do not deserve to reap the harvest of all my toil and struggle in life…

Like everything else in life, unless I make health a value, a priority in my life, it just won’t be…

A hundred reasons and another hundred excuses won’t change that reality…

Do I need a doctor to tell me this?

Or, a priest to remind me:  'Your body is a temple of God'?


GERALD D’CUNHA


Comments

Neeraj Bhandari said…
Very inspiring and useful post Gerry. Thank-you. Neraj Bhandari
November 23, 2014 at 5:57 PM
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