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 in all of this is to illustrate that there are so many ways that a person can work on fitness without actually working on fitness that is amazing in a kind of metaphysical way. Whether it has to do with bodybuilding or becoming a perfect tai chi Zen enthusiast, there are a myriad of activities in and around the house that can offer medication and fitness training all at once.
This can be useful even for an 80-year-old great-grandmother who can do nothing more than sit in a rocker and maybe do a little needlework. Fitness can be cultivated even in her case while she is doing something like needlepoint or sewing as long as she focuses on the beauty of the moment and clears her mind. The body will bring forth energy that she will certainly come to appreciate, for sure.
So, when it comes to Zen and housework what’s not to like, really? Fitness can be cultivated without even trying to do so simply because there are so many ways to go about accomplishing housework and appreciating it while doing it. The body will soon enough follow along and real fitness games can be achieved. After all, what isn’t to like about doing such activity when done with Zen?