by Greg Barnes
I am a student of Universal Medicine and have been attending lectures and workshops for eight years. In my younger years I played sport at an elite level and represented Australia overseas in Judo. Never in all the time I have known Serge Benhayon has he ever told me not to exercise!
I still snow ski in Canada every year for four to six weeks, but my feeling as to how I approach skiing has changed as I am now more in touch with my body and can feel the effects when I am skiing. To ski at the top level (on one occasion with a former member of the ‘Crazy Canuks’!) down double-black runs takes a push and a drive that takes me ‘out of myself’, it disconnects me from feeling my body, and I can now say, “it hurts”. When I ski the groomed black, blue and green runs I find that I can still stay connected to my body and have a joy-full time without the drive to compete that was ‘me’ in the past. I now ski for the joy of it, whether it is powder down black runs or cruising the blues. It is all fun!!
Serge regularly asks me how my skiing is going. Never has he said not to do sport and he is always promoting walking, swimming and light exercise for everyone especially if they are not in a job that is physical.
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
Greg I love the simplicity of this blog and the key thing you’ve highlighted is the importance of being present when skiing. But it matters not which sports or what activity you do, it’s being present in every moment that matters.
It requires us to build that fitness, and the rest will be taken care of. So if you don’t like that feeling of how you got from one place to another, then this is the antidote.
Body awareness is something so precious for every part of life, it allows us to take loving care of ourselves by constantly learning what is or is not supportive for our health and wellbeing. From the way we exercise, our posture, what we eat, how we sleep, even what occurs in relationships and the thoughts we allow impact the body. Unlike a car our body is an irreplaceable vehicle, body awareness is therefore essential common sense.
Yes, it is always important to constantly feel and re-evaluate what is supporting our body, is our diet still what our body is asking for, or are our movements contributing to our well-being, there is much to be aware of.
Yes and body awareness is not hard core, extreme exercises that feels as though your punishing your body. It’s the equivalent of the mini (car), being forced to travel up rocky terrains…
The drive to compete takes all the joy out of anything and makes you do things that your body would never want to do.
Sometimes we say we ‘love’ something even if it hurts our body. When we can finally listen and accept what the body has been saying, we can feel the constriction and the weight we have been casting on ourselves and it actually feels so liberating to be able to simply follow what rejoices the body.
What each does or not is a personal choice. It could not be otherwise.
Downhill skiing has always been a love for me. It is a time when I can stay with myself and not get distracted by the outside world.
Skiing has shown me the power of staying with myself. When I am with myself when I am doing something I do not get exhausted and life is more fun.
Now I understand why I love skiing so much.
Love it, Greg, without connection to yourself and your body there can’t be any fun.
I wish many years ago I had come across this blog about staying connected when exercising. For years I exercised with drive, anger, vanity, anything negative, I did it in this energy. And as expected my body said no more and the message was already there, years earlier, I would hit a wall of tiredness and needed naps in the afternoon, I can’t remember how many colds and chest infections I developed in a year, I simply wasn’t listening or putting two and two together.
Then one day my body said enough the loudest it could and developed an endocrine condition and after eight to ten years now, I have just returned to the gym. Taking things easy, staying with myself whilst I exercise.
If my body says no please don’t exercise today, I listen and I am no longer guilt ridden – I honour my body.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Shushila. It took me a long time to realize that the jumping up and down on loud music during the fitness class was actually the thing that gave me such a sore hip that I almost couldn’t walk anymore. I never went back and enjoy walking, swimming and gentle exercising.
To say that to push or drive ones self hurts is an awareness that many already have, however struggle with living differently as the drive is such that it overrides the innate knowing and steady, loving care that is our natural way of being. That is until we choose to arrest the drive and allow what is innately within to guide our activities.
I love that the emphasis here is not essentially about the sport, but how you choose to participate in it.
When we let go of competition and allow ourselves to enjoy the exercises we do we actually start to ease up on the throttle and enjoy both the exercises and the time we spend with ourselves and others.
Absurd to even consider that Serge would tell anyone what to do or not do. I have known him for over 14 years and never heard or seen him impose or tell anyone what to do. What I have heard at times is Serge share his own experience of life and what has worked for him. However, he does not have one ounce of judgement in the choices of others or need for them to be any other way.
Serge Benhayon is not invested in anyone being in a certain way or doing (or not doing) something. He let the others be and choose whatever they feel to.
Another beautiful account of the power of no judgement or critique. Serge Benhayon does not judge anyone. No matter who they are or what they do and lets us all come to our own learning and understanding of life in our own time. That is all part of the love he lives each and every day.
The fact that Serge Benhayon never dictates what we should or shouldn’t do speaks volumes. Even though he knows from his own lived experience what does and doesn’t work, he allows us the space to find out for ourselves.
And this to me is what The Way of The Livingness is all about. Not following the rules and regulations of what we should and should not do as said by another or society, but rather following the guidance from our inner-knowing, our truth, to what feels true in our bodies and from there make adjustments needed. Therefore, it is truly empowering to develop a loving and honouring relationship with our body as it is through this connection that we have access to an intelligence that serves only to guide us to live in greater connection to our Soul.
Like everything, if we push ourselves and go into drive we harm our body in some way. Four years ago I learnt to ski, as a matter of fact in Canada, I was able to stay connected to my body when I honoured myself with the runs I felt confident in skiing but every time I tried to push myself and go along with everyone else I was skiing with, then without a doubt I would fall and hurt myself.
Staying connected with one’s body and maintaining discernment as to whether one is pushing one’s body in whatever one is doing, skiing or making the bed, is like chalk and cheese.
Yes Greg I agree, in the moment I am more connected with my body my whole attitude to move is changing as I can not push my body in the same hardness as I did before I felt my body. My body is loud and very clear what it wants or not – I on the other side of that can numb myself to not feel it’s clear message at all!
I love what you are presenting here Greg, as you highlight that anything we do, may it be sports or anything else, is so much more fun when every part of us is in it and honoured to its fullest. And the interesting experience is, that then in the end it does not matter what we do, as we feel so comfortable in our own skin / body that simply being our self is awesome.
Beautiful, I love it Doug, what a fun and honouring way to work with your body.
Now to obtain the level of fitness to ski so that I would not injure myself I feel that the drive and pushing to my body would disconnect from the way I now live. Feeling the stretches, exercise and walking I now do to stay fit is so different to the drive of the past, which definitely serves my body as I get older as my strength and vitality increase.
That is so honouring, Greg. This illustrates one that needs to exercise appropriately to support one’s lifestyle.
And it is our choice whether that lifestyle is for evolution or indulgence.
Our body needs to exercise to be able to support us in life – so we are ‘fit for life’. The difference that Universal Medicine presents around this is to be aware of the quality of the movements we make above all else. Any ideals about intensity and reps will take us away from the focus on quality and ensure we push our body way beyond what it is asking for.
Being fit doesn’t equal to being hard with our body. I love practising gentle exercise as it allows me to deeply feel my body and not hurting it while I work with it. Exercising in this way has become a loving re-encounter with myself and exercise. I know now how supportive can be to my day a short stretching set, a walk or just the awareness of being present in my body in whatever I do.
Today there are many different types and levels of sports available but we should never underestimate the power and simplicity of walking and light weights.
‘…walking, swimming and light exercise for everyone especially if they are not in a job that is physical.’ I’m a ‘desk jockey’ for much of my time so light exercise is spot on for me – it’s all I require to be fit for work and life. Yet every day at the gym I see men and women pushing themselves to extremes – and I’ll bet most of them aren’t bricklayers. What’s driving us to exercise like we do?
That’s a very typical Serge approach – a gentle enquiry and nothing more, leaving one to ponder on the nature of whatever it is we are doing, if we so choose.
I didn’t know that you had a history of lots of skiing Greg! I used to love skiing too,I learned how to ski quite late in life, ( in my late thirties) so I was never a great one for speed. It was a wonderful time to appreciate the beauty of nature with blue skies and clean air in the Alps. Doing gentle exercise in connection with ourselves is great for the body, nowadays I swim and walk the dog.
Serge Benhayon would never tell anyone what to do. Everything he teaches is about us developing our own inner connection so that we can be discerning and able to make our own choices that we truly want for ourselves.
That’s really cool Greg. Good to set the record straight….crazy what people will make up for the sake of a controversy.
It is Elodie, there are many that think it is controversial that people make decisions based on how their body feels doing, eating or taking something. Seems pretty simple and loving to me.
One of the many beautiful things Serge Benhayon shares is to listen to your body, to stay present with it and to the connection to self within, from there we all know how to be or what to do because the body is an amazing communicator.
What I’ve discovered through insights and sharing’s from Serge Benhayon is that when being with myself as I exercise, exercise stops being exercise and is part of what I do to appreciate, support and even enjoy myself. No huff and puff, no pushing and pulling just simple and supportive for what my body feels is needed at the time.
Greg its great that you are listening to your body and making sure that you do not harm it, so knowing your limits. It is our body that speaks to us, what feels bad or good, which just have to learn to listen.
The thing is that we learned to live life by thinking what is good for us and what not instead of feeling for ourselves what is truly good for us and what not and in addition we think that what is good for us once will always be good for us instead of seeing what is required in each moment.
Lately I have been doing more exercise, especially swimming and there is so much joy in doing this. When exercise is done in a connected way the body just loves it and there is no stress and strain to the body.
Body awareness is a great thing. It helps us in many ways. One of them has to do with sports. We tend to concentrate is our performance (as if we are watched from the outside). Yet, as body awareness kick in, we start considering how we feel in our body while doing sports and the aftermath. Things change inevitably as we realize what sports is doing to us.
Exercise in connection to our bodies and how they feel to move is fun Greg and it always makes me feel more vibrant during my day and helps me connect to myself much easier too because my awareness of how my body feels is much more in tune.
I skied a lot when I was younger. The thing I loved most about it was being in the mountains, amongst the absolute glory of nature and feeling the immensity of its reflection for us all.
Thanks for setting the record straight Greg, Serge Benhayon doesn’t ever tell people what to do.
Serge Benhayon has never said not to do sport – what I have learned from his presentations on sport is the importance of the quality we choose when we exercise, or do anything and learn to feel for ourselves its impact on our body – we can feel invigorated, light, expansive, or we can batter our bodies so they go into greater hardness and protection. One is truly restorative, and the other deepens the exhaustion and disharmony within.
It really is how we approach anything we do that makes the difference. Being more in touch with our bodies is a game changer when it comes to exercise of any kind. Bringing an ever deepening awareness to our movements gives us the opportunity to hold our bodies in higher esteem and in this apprciation we naturally enjoy ourselves more.
Thank you Greg, it is never what we do but the quality we do anything in that matters. As we deepen our connection with our self we come to feel how what we do feels in our body and are forever correcting this. What feels OK to do at one time can begin to feel harmful another. No one can dictate this to us as we can only feel it for our self.
Doing anything simply for the joy of it brings it alive.
It is always important to keep checking in with our body and how that feels in regard to what exercise we choose. Our body speaks loudly when we listen to it.
This is key Greg, that one has the right to attend presentations and exercise ones free will to do what they please when it comes to exercise. I love that you joyfully hear what has been presented but still listen to yourself and make your choices.
It’s not a question of giving up sport but a question of checking in with the body when it comes to playing sport and exercising. This simple step is one that is commonly missed in society. In my case, and something that is continual, as I check in with me and my body I have made different choices as to what I do. So much of my sport and exercise in the past was based around what I thought was good for me. It was the head leading the body with its ideals and beliefs. When I started to give the body a say in the matter, it had something quite different to say.
Since knowing Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine so much has changed for me and I feel so much more connected with myself and others. Throughout all of what I am continuing to learn I would say one of the biggest teachings is how our body is a vessel for energy and what energy are we choosing every moment. So it can be using a drive or force to do sport or a task at work or we can use our body as a vessel for true love and do everything in and with connection … including exercise 💕
Its beautiful what you share Vicky, how our body is a vessel and it is up to us to choose what energy we want to flow through it, whether its a drive and force or a connection of love.
Serge never tells people what to do or not do, we all have to discern for for ourselves if something is supporting and nourishing for ourselves or not. ‘Never in all the time I have known Serge Benhayon has he ever told me not to exercise!’
It is actually crucial to get a sense of what takes us out and it is not just extreme sports, simply rushing from one task to the next can do that; but this to feel and experience for everyone on their own so that it is one´s own awareness and choice of how to behave in order to take care of one´s own life.
I expect you wrote this in response to some people saying Serge says not to exercise or something ridiculous like that. Absolutely nuts because Serge never tells people what to do and even if he did which he does not people make their own choices and thirdly as it happens he is very supportive of exercise that support the body but that is irrelevant as we all come to our own way and our responsible for our own lives.
Thank you Greg your blog highlights the fact that Serge Benhayon never tells anyone what to do.
One of the greatest enjoyments of being in the mountains in winter is the sunlight sparkling and reflecting from the snow and ice particles in the air.
I have been playing with the way I swim. I used to swim a lot as a child and won many swimming competitions. When I recently started going to the local pool I noticed my attitude toward swimming – even though I was not swimming fast, it was about how far I had swum, I would keep track of how many lengths and have some sort of fixed routine going on. It’s been quite a hard one to drop but what I have been noticing is that when I swim for the pure enjoyment of how it feels for my body, I come out feeling amazing. When my focus tends towards how far I have swum and how many laps I have done, I come out tired and without the skip in my step.
There is no right and wrong about a sport, but to feel if a sport feels supportive to our body or is it harming. Our body tells us the truth, so we need to listen and feel.
It is a beautiful thing to be able to change how we do what we do and why in a more self-loving way. Yet, this does not change the fact that we tend to choose sports to prove ourselves, a fact that reflects how low is our self-esteem and self-worth that we need to outdo others to feel good about us.
If we focus on breath first, and function second, exercise becomes naturally playful.
Keeping life playful, keeping our exercise fun and not losing sight of our bodies communication means we keep exercise going well into our later years. This is vital for all round physical and mental health. It needs to be a non-negotiable…not the skiing so much as old bones might break more easily…but the exercise 🙂
And how many of us have laboured over exercise and let the fun and joy disappear? Bringing these elements back in comes naturally when we regard ourselves more highly and treat ourselves with more care and not let the sport or activity taker over.
My attitude towards exercise has completely changed since attending Universal Medicine. I use to push my body into a state I did not enjoy and I had to motivate myself to go to the gym or exercise. These days it feels so good during my simple gentle routine and after that if I miss it I can feel I am not as settled and connected to my body. The support it provides me to connect to my body is amazing.
‘Never has he said not to do sport and he is always promoting walking, swimming and light exercise for everyone especially if they are not in a job that is physical.’ Absolutely true. Serge not only promotes exercise that supports the body, but does it himself. He walks everything he talks. Until he came along I had never met anyone else who does that.
Thank you Greg for sharing your joy of skiing in learning not push hard but stay connected to your body.
It is beautiful to read how from being more in touch with your body after attending Universal Medicine lectures that you are more aware of what disconnects you from feeling your body and have been able to adjust your skiing accordingly to stay in the joy of the sport. Thank you for standing up to express your truth and in doing so expose the lies.
Samantha its interesting how so many of us have been working around in life being disconnected to our body, just getting on with the doing of life, with no consideration about our body and the harm we may be causing to it. Thanks to Universal Medicine we have to come to understand how to honour, love and nature our body
Exercise if done for the body – and not for an outside ideal – is very supportive and naturally brings joy into your day.
Thank you Greg, perhaps I’ll see you on the slopes one day!
I agree Greg, never have I heard don’t do sport. It always comes down to how it feels in the body. The fact is that the more I slow down and feel my body more, the less I want to feel how much pain my joints are in when I run on concrete for 4-6 hours at a time!
I’ve never heard Serge Benhayon prescribe how to exercise as it’s an entirely personal thing, based on what the body needs and chosen out of absolute support and respect for it. That’s a far cry from some of the harsh, damaging regimes I used to follow and my body is all the healthier for it.
My experience of Serge Benhayon is that he is very pro exercise too, and it makes perfect sense, exercise is vital for maintaining both our health and our well-being, he just offers that perhaps there is a different way to exercise that doesn’t damage our bodies.
The way of exercise I was presented with in the past always felt ‘too hard’ and ‘too much’ for me, I have to say. I tried various things, but no-one, until I came to the presentations of Serge Benhayon, spoke about coming from one’s own body first. This was, and is, a complete paradigm changer – liberating us from the need to measure up to standards determined from outside of ourselves.
What if we lived all of life in this way, from the ‘inside – out’, deeply honouring our own bodies, listening to what is needed in terms of the way we go about things and the exercise that can truly support us… Our world would be completely different.
The ‘off-trackness’ of where we now stand couldn’t be more apparent, with the exhaustion and fatigue so endemic today, and our want to push ourselves and imbibe of substances that ‘keep up’ the push… Phew, we have a long way to go, but the truth IS here, and it’s being shown in the changes in many people’s lives and bodies, when listening to and honouring the body first, becomes the foundation from which we live our lives. ‘Punishment’ through exercise need never enter the equation…
It’s an awesome relationship to have, isn’t it Greg – the one we can have with our own bodies… If only we were taught from ‘the start’ to really feel into what’s ok and what’s not for us – where things we do may be too hard and forceful, how we can adjust the way we go about things… and essentially LISTEN! For our bodies are ever feeding back to us what we need to know. Gorgeous to feel the beauty of this relationship in your blog Greg, thank-you.
Great awareness there Greg. When we truly connect with our bodies we can discern what supports our body and that is different for everyone and forever needs refining as we become more sensitive.
Thank you for sharing your experience with doing sport. For me it is also important to stay connected to my body while I am dancing as it is always possible to move my body in a way that is supporting it or in a way where I harm myself. I really prefer nowadays to move my body in a way in which I do not harm myself.
We can exercise in a harmful or healing way. We can do too much, not enough or do movements that hurt us. It is always a questions of connecting to our body and discerning what best supports us – and that will be different for every person.
Interesting how we do things that take us out of ourselves. I have certainly had that experience but prefer by far the connection with myself and with my body – which can happen as simply as breathing gently and feels very natural.
Having known Serge now for over 5 years, I have never heard him tell people what to do or not to do. This is not his way.
‘Cruising the blues’, that sounds like not only fun Greg but a massive step down from the ‘double black runs’ of your past. I just hope you keep yourself rugged up to avoid blue fingers and toes!
Thankyou Greg for highlighting the truth that it is not what we do but the way that we do it, that is the key in life.
This is great Greg and shows that true connection to our bodies is the best support we can offer and it feels amazing too. Whether it be gliding down the slopes or walking to the park, being connected to our movements is the way to go. Thank you.
Greg thanks for sharing the harm sports can cause when we push ourselves. When we listen to our body we can still enjoy the same sport without harming ourselves, and know when to stop as our body lets us know.
I feel a lot better when I exercise on a regular basis too.Since I have been listening to my body and aware of the inherent quality within exercise has become more and more enjoyable.
Another myth busted – thankyou Greg.
Life becomes so simple when we listen to and honour the body. I have also been inspired by Serge Benhayon to exercise and take better care of my body, and to really listen to what type of exercise works for me. Thanks Greg for sharing your experiences.
Gorgeous honesty Greg. It takes a lot of honesty to admit and truly feel the harm of what many of us do to our bodies, but in that comes a great deal of wisdom and healing
Thank you Greg for sharing, I know nothing about skiing at all, but I do know that when exercise is done with presence and gentleness, with out the drive or push, it can then be very healing for the body.
Thanks Greg for the sharing. With exercise its something we have to feel into our body, what feels right for us, our body will let us know if an exercise does not support us. It’s not about doing what others do, but feeling what’s right and true for us.
Thankyou Greg, all we can do with regards to exercise is listen to our body, and make choices that honour the body’s very real need for gentleness and an absence of drive and “push”. And, have fun!
So interesting to read about skiing – a sport I used to love when I did it a few times. Now I’m not so keen on putting up with feeling as cold as I used to do, or frightened! Looking back I can see how it’ll be more fun having dropped the need to impress or prove myself and push myself too far physically. Have to say that mountains in the summer with beautiful walks is more appealing.
‘…have a joy-full time without the drive…’ this sums up the change in me with my own return to exercise. Everything we do in our bodies and connected to ourselves will feel joyful but we have become very good at overriding this and being dishonest about how we feel to not acknowledge the harm we are doing.
I love that Greg. It is so lovely to feel that you do really enjoy skiing with you and not because of the thrill and high you can get from doing something potentially dangerous!
Wow – I’m just in awe that it’s possible to ski and stay present! It highlights to me the fact that we are indeed all different and that it’s for each one of us to know and accept our boundaries and our limits and in so doing that’s truly honouring. Any form of comparison – here with me feeling the lesser for tensing up even just putting on my skis let alone wobbling down a black run – is unhelpful. It’s much more important to discern what’s right for us and genuinely admire those who can do things we can’t rather than give ourselves a hard time feeling not good enough.
Great myth buster Greg, and a testimonial that exposes many of the lies that were printed by the media back in 2012. I still swim, and surf, although I do not participate anymore in competitive sport, or in activities that I can feel are actually harming my body. There is a different way for a man to build his body, and that is with tenderness in mind. Why, may you ask? For it builds a body that allows us once again to be receptive to the light of the world. Of course, it also means that we can feel other things that are also not so nice – anger, frustration, grief – thicker emotions that once you choose to open yourself up to life again – can feel like freight trains bearing down on you. Such emotions, when connected to with a truly sensitive body, can easily be felt for the harm they truly cause another. It is no wonder, with the world the way it is, that as men we harden ourselves in the body – to assist us to cope with all that we do not like to feel. But there is a price for this, and that is that we equally cannot feel love – no matter how much we may claim that we can – and that is a tragedy – for love is the basic fundamental right of every human being.
Skiing is one of my pleasures too! Being in the mountains, the beauty and the stillness surrounding me, everything dusted in white, glorious snow 🙂 It is the whole package of skiing that is wonderful, the gentle exercise (I am competent and so balancing isn’t a hardship for me), the fresh air, the magnificent of the scenery…What’s not to love!
I recall the times in my life when I haven’t exercised lead me to feeling more lethargic and to have less energy. Regular exercise has been key for me in dealing with my shift work and supporting me to work very long hours.
Skiing was my favourite sport but I was always in competition with myself to ‘do’ it better. When I gradually let go of this comparison with myself for every run I was able to just take in the wonder of the mountains, the profound whiteness and depth of the snow and the ice particles in the air shining in the sunlight. I no longer ski but am learning to let go of the comparison with myself and to feel the beauty and reflection of nature all around me.
Exercise is definitely something that is supported and very needed for ones vitality. Being fit for our lives supports us in so many ways because it takes out the strain of everyday tasks. I am 26 but I know I could do with more exercise because walking up two flights of stairs or doing a 30 minute cardio knackers me out. What I have observed is that exercise can be gentle and supportive on and to the body rather than using it as an end to a means.
On the days when I don’t exercise I find I am more tired and find it harder to have the energy for the day. When I do exercise in the morning I find I am more vital that day- this is my experience.
‘cruising the blues’ sounds like fun. How wonderful you have been able to take the hardness and toughness out of the sport you enjoy.
Greg I do not know anything about skiing but I understand the changes in you, from being driven by competition to now enjoying the physical activity and the pleasure of your body moving on the snow.
when listening to our bodies and truly considering how situations effect us we can gain clarity on any subject.
Well said Luke, trust the inner knowing we all have
I hadn’t read your blog before Greg, very true re skiing, I ski every now and then and find it is the competitiveness that I don’t want any more, hurts my body physically, far more than something non competitive. I have been competitive for so long that for a while I had to walk away from heaps of sport just so I could find a balance. I sometimes get sucked back in during a board game or on the tennis court eek, but on the whole I am starting to see I can enjoy skiing without getting sucked in to racing down a mountain which is empowering…knowing I have a choice to do the sport, or not, to be competitive, or not.
Isn’t it amazing how we think we ‘enjoy’ some activity for its intensity when we really let ourselves feel it is quite clear that ‘enjoy’ is far from what our body experiences?
Awesome Greg – this simply shares a huge message – to enjoy and be with ourselves no matter what we are doing. It is about connection to self – each moment is a moment to express ourselves. And when it is not felt, then question what it is that is ‘driving’ the moment.
Serge Benhayon, has always said exercise is good for the physical body, he always says to connect to the body and choose what exercise supports the body. Gentle walking, swimming are really great for everyone. All other sports is a personal choice depending on how it feels in our body. As we start to feel the body and connect, if a sport starts to hurt and cause pain, that’s our body telling us, this sport no longer supporting. Our body knows the truth of what it is feeling, so it always our choice to choose. Honouring the body gives the body a joyful experience.
Greg it’s lovely to be reminded that in everything we do including physical activity to make it joyful and to check how it feels in our bodies.
Yes Sharon I agree. When we bring a light hearted approach to any exercise the body plays with us as there is no room fro drive or reaching certain levels of fitness. It often reminds me of how as children we would ride our bikes for hours for fun and not feel tired or exhausted.
Greg, you have listened to your body and responded to what it is telling you. We don’t need to tell anyone to do anything, or have anyone tell us, when all we need to do is connect and ask our own bodies. The body does not lie.
I have never been told by Serge Benhayon or any of the practitioners of Universal Medicine to not exercise, in fact it was suggested that I start doing some gentle weight training, as my body was not strong enough to support me in the work I do.
I have recently joined a Gym for the first time in my life, which is incredibly supportive for my body and work, and am very grateful to the practitioners of Universal Medicine supporting my choice to do this.
Beautiful Greg- I’ve never been skiing before.. only water skiing. I think it’s great that you are now able to recognise when a sport is too rough that it hurts… imagine how many people are hurting themselves for the sake of sport. I think that’s what Serge Benhayon is all about- supporting the connection to yourself and feeling your body… your body can tell you what to do and not do.. you don’t need anyone else for that.
That’s the beautiful thing about Serge Benhayon is that he never tells anyone what to do. He may share his perspective, if we ask but he is definitely not imposing and with this we are given the space to decide how best to live our lives.
It’s lovely to read how you went from pushing your body in a competitive manner , to listening to it and honouring it in how you ski. This enables you to not only get more enjoyment from it, but also inspire others in how to exercise.
Thanks for sharing your experience of Serge Benhayon and exercise. Skiing as you describe it sounds like so much fun!
Bring the fun back to sports….. Thank you Greg, for sharing with us that sport can be fun. Sometimes we can forget.
Greg, I’m glad to read that you can enjoy your skiing while staying within the limits of what is right for your body. There are many ways to exercise and all that Serge Benhayon presents is that it is important to pay attention to the quality of how we exercise so that we are not placing our body into stress and hardness etc. What I have found is that my body is so much more responsive when I am not in the push and ‘drive myself hard’ mode – there is no comparison and I know now that my body is getting more benefit from a gentler form of exercise than what it did previously.
Very true Greg, Serge Benhayon never dictates what one should or shouldn’t do, instead presenting that we feel for ourselves in our own body and live according to what is true for us. It’s so great to see that you are now exercising in a way that supports you to stay connected within your body, rather than caught up in the competition or push that sport can become.
Thanks Greg, I have also found the more I stay connected with my body it becomes clear what I can and cannot do as far as physical exercise goes.
So lovely to feel the switch from drive and hardness when exercising to connection and true enjoyment and fun.
Greg, it’s fascinating to feel how supposedly the same exercise can feel like a completely different exercise depending on how we approach it. I used to power walk and had a phrase for it, i used to say that I was ‘digging up the concrete’. Horrible to remember that now but at the time I was proud of the intensity that I put into my walk. Now when I walk I actually enjoy the movement of my body, the feeling in my legs, the spongy quality of my feet, how relaxed my shoulders feel. I would hate to feel how my body felt when I was ‘digging up the concrete’ !
It is beautiful to hear how you went from a mind driven competitive approach to your skiing to one led by feeling your body, which took you from an experience that hurt you to one that is joyous. Thanks for sharing this Greg.
Thanks Greg for the example of how to really enjoy exercise.
You are quite an example for a student of love, Greg. The moment it becomes a serious matter, I’m off. So inspiring how true service can look like, too.
I guess we could say that ‘the way’ we do anything changes the impact on our bodies, wether it’s skiing, playing an instrument, or going to work, you can feel a difference in your body by doing so with a drive or to compete compared to doing so for the pure fun of it.
Yes Laura, you could definitely say that – it has been my experience that the way I do everything changes the impact on my body and in turn, the way I think and feel about myself.
This is something I always express to clients using essential oil blends that I make, that there is a big difference in the intention behind say applying a blend to a scar on the skin wanting the oil to make it go away & putting all the emphasis on the outcome, compared to using the oil to support nurturing that particular area of the body with dedicated love and care to support it after the incident.
It is inspiring to read Greg how you have gone from skiing for competition to enjoying the sport and being with your body in the process rather than pushing or driving it to perform.
I agree Sally. What a huge change around in a world that promotes competition to the highest degree.
It’s great that you continue to do what you enjoy doing. Life should always be about following your heart and doing things that feel right for you. Serge Benhayon always just offers information to people to ponder on living a more loving way ~ never tells people what to do, just shares with them what he has learnt through being more loving in his own life.
I too have never heard Serge Benhayon saying not to exercise. He has only ever talked about how to connect more with your body and to feel what type of exercise you really need. He has also shared that by doing this you may find that certain sports that have suited you in the past may not feel so loving in your body today. He has encouraged me greatly to honor my preciousness and fragility and exercise to build a body that truly supports me through out my day.
Thanks Greg for exploring the real reasons why we sometimes might do sport and intense exercise. It sounds no different to a drug, a natural high, but one that still has consequences for the body and our health.
Never has Serge Benayon or a Universal Medicine Practitioner ever told me not to go skiing and the subject has inevitably cropped up as my parents live part of the year in a ski resort. What I have noticed is that the way I am snowboarding has changed as I listen to when my body tells me I am pushing too hard.
I agree Greg – Serge Benhayon has only ever encouraged us to listen to our bodies, he has never told anyone what to do. I know when I truly connected to my body, the rigorous yoga practise I did everyday felt more like a punishment to my body. I now exercise without needing to push myself in anyway – I enjoy this gentle approach and my body thanks me for it too.
I second/third/fourth etc… all of these comments. Serge has never told anyone what to do especially with regard to sports and exercise. What I have always learnt from his presentations is that it is always up to me – eat / do something, check in with the body, listen and then I have a choice what to do after that. And each choice as a consequence. As simple as that.
Never has Serge Benayon or a Universal Medicine Practitioner ever told me not to go skiing and the subject has inevitably cropped up as my parents live part of the year in a ski resort. What I have noticed is that the way I am snowboarding has changed as I listen to when my body tells me I am pushing too hard.
Greg I too have found that my body guides me regarding exercise. Having been on the other end of the spectrum Serge has encouraged and inspired me to be more active. However, I remember commenting to him that I should do more exercise, thinking to myself that I should go and sweat it out in an aerobics class which I did not enjoy, and he merely responded ‘going for a walk is good’, and in that non-imposing response I suddenly gave myself permission to exercise to the level and in the way that felt natural and supportive to me. I now walk and eagerly participate in ‘connected exercise’ classes in which we are encouraged to tune into our body and how it is feeling (which changes from day to day!) and exercise accordingly.
Serge Benhayon has only ever shared with us that we need to listen to our bodies and to not override what the body is telling us. You seem to have found a balance with your skiing. Continue skiing joy-fully.
It is up to us what we choose, how can anybody else tell us what to do? Our body is so wise and knows everything. It is up to us if we listen to it and honour it in every moment, whether this is with skiing, walking, making dinner or when we sit on the couch.
It’s true, Serge Benhayon has never said don’t exercise – and it is totally ridiculous that anyone would suggest he has. What he does say is “listen to your body”. We absolutely know when we are pushing ourselves beyond what the body is up for. What is presented by Universal Medicine is how to love yourself – and part of this love is not overriding what the body is telling us. It’s quite simple really.
Thanks Greg for reminding us that it gets a moment in life where the reconnection with the body does not allow us anymore to keep doing a sport that what was customary. What I find interesting is that renouncing to it or like you, changing your relationship with it, is fairly easy because one knows that doing it harms the body.
True, also. In six years, I have never heard Serge say, to not do this or that.
Thank you Greg. Since becoming a student of Universal Medicine I actually exercise more than I did before as it is part of my commitment to self-care.
Yes me too.
Joyfully skiing sounds wonderful. I have not skied but always liked the idea of the doing so, the fresh air, the mountains and the snow. It is great how you differentiate between the rush and push of doing some ski runs and also doing ones that suit your body and so you are able to stay present. Staying present and aware of your body allows us to truly experience life. Thank you.
Hi Greg, when I read this piece I couldn’t help remembering my letting go of ice skating a few years ago. Ice skating I loved and I was pretty good at it. I could turn both ways backwards and forward. No triple axles though… What eventually made me stop was the extremely uncomfortable ice skates. I’ve tried a few over the years but after 10-15 minutes of riding my feet was ice cold and I just wanted to put them back into my warm and fluffy snow boots. If they would make super-warm and comfy ones I might give it a go again since I really love it but until then I stay in my warm ones.
I have not really been good at sports, and dreaded PE classes throughout my school years. It was all about aiming to do faster, longer, more etc, and there was a constant push to perform better in order to beat an opponent. If physical exercise was just about having fun, taking care of body, and maintaining its health, I am sure I could have developed a different kind of relationship with my body, and my self-esteem.
It is a powerful shift going from ski-ing for the rush, to being so connected with your body that to then do that, feels painful. We really don’t know how far we have separated from ourselves until an experience like this happens. I am also reflecting on the quality of the joy being experienced and the unrealised gift it brings to feel this joy at this much deeper level,
This is beautiful Greg. I have never been a skier, it’s not been my thing. But I love how you have brought greater awareness to how you ski so that it has much less of an impact on your body.
I too have only ever heard Serge be an advocate of exercise. He has consistently presented on the benefits of supporting the body through regular movement in whichever way feels appropriate for each person and encouraging focus on the quality of how we are in whatever medium we choose to do. Definitely a more lovely way to exercise than what I had previously chosen.
I’m often so quick with judgments about myself and others about what is right and what is wrong. You present with such ease how you experience skiing, Greg. And I sense I could allow myself lots of things in a similar way, naturally.
Hi Greg, I tried skiing; but, I was worried that I would fall or ski right through the buildings
further on at the base of the slope. It is great that you are staying connected and enjoying the skiing. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, Alex, so true, it’s not about what we do but the way we do things that makes all the difference.
Wunderbarer (wonderful) Greg thank you for sharing – it is true – it is how we do things so that we are not disconnecting with ourselves – then everything is pure joy and fun.
I feel it’s not what we do but the way that we do it – and it feels lovely to connect to my body and have fun. I went skiing when I was in my forties and tore a ligament because I was too controlled and wouldn’t just trust my body. Maybe I will have another go next time around!
Thank you Greg, I have never been an exercise person in the past. I have recently been introduced to gentle exercise by Danielle Pirera and I have found so much fun in feeling my body move in such a loving way, and this is indeed joyful.
It is not about the “don’ts” necessarily, but how we do things – with respect and care for the body and our state of being, with fun, free will and love.
Thats a great blog Greg and it made me wonder on how to be gentle and joyful doing sport without having fully developed the skills. I have never been very sporty and even though I tried all kind of sports I am not good at skiing, snowboarding, surfing, windsurfing, etc. Everything I did was always a struggle, my body got hurt a lot and I only had very short periods of joy, when I finally got up and was sliding the snow or the waves, just till the next interruption that would bring me more pain. So my big question was always, as a beginner, how to learn to practice all those sports in a gentle and caring way? Is it possible to learn skiing as an adult without compromising my body?
Greg, so great to hear your blog about skiing and the joys of doing so. It is great to make the choices we want to about how our own body feels when choosing exercise, it is always our choice.
Our daily lives are enriched when we connect to true joy, and listen to and care for our physical body. One of the ways we take care of our body is to exercise. Although it is important for us to exercise it does need to be done within the limits of our body which is clearly what you are doing. Enjoy your next ski trip Greg!
Greg I can feel your joy when you ski.
When I am with my body, in all that I do, then it tells me when I am out of balance.
Listening is so powerful isn’t it?
So matter if it’s walking, talking or skiing staying connected is key to feeling the joy ✨
Thank you Greg for sharing the Joy of skiing and being aware to not go into a competitive drive that spoils the fun of just ‘skiing’.
That’s a great Greg, It’s about making what we do with our bodies personal to us and exercise at the levels we need to. Awesome 🙂
I can feel your joy about skiing Greg… I never really learnt how to ski and found the idea a little scary for my liking, but I do enjoy gentle exercise. It’s great having a physical presence and awareness of my body as I move and I love feeling the vibrancy of my body once I have exercised.
This article highlighted the resistance to exercise I still have present in my body, thanks for sharing.
Your blog just goes to show that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, because I find ski-ing generally just too demanding on my knees – even the easy runs – so I gave up many years ago and stopped my investment in the annual snow fest trip. I honoured my body’s distress signals and held true to what it was screaming at me, often in the face of peer pressure. And that’s the point. Listen to your body, know your limits, respect what the body knows and don’t be taken in by the illusion or the drive for recognition or identification with something that just isn’t loving for the body.
I have had a similar experience with surfing. I loved bringing awareness to how I was surfing and why I was wanting to surf. It is great to feel how our bodies never lie to us about what we and how we are doing. Thank you Greg.
I can feel your acceptance and understanding of the way you were and how you are now, with no judgement, when you say that was “me”, the one that was driven to compete in the double-black runs, and how you now prefer to be in touch with your body. It is a choice after all.
I love this Greg. Our bodies love exercise and for me what is important is the quality that I bring to my body whilst practicing which ever form or exercise or sport I choose. For me exercise has been a great way to build my conscious presence as exercise can bring you to a place that is very present. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Well said Greg! Serge Benhayon is a huge advocator of excercise, it is a vital part of looking after our bodies. I know the huge differences I feel when I do and don’t excercise, it’s a great feeling too when I know my body is strong enough for the day and tasks ahead.
Likewise, I’ve never been told not to exercise but certainly the way I exercise has changed. I would also go out of myself in exercising, disconnecting from my body to push through and convincing myself I enjoyed the pain, be it in cycling or running. Now I enjoy exercise for the movement and the opportunity to feel my body gently stretch and open up.
This is great Greg, a) because it highlights the truth that Serge Benhayon never tells us what to do, which some people have wrongly accused him of and b) that being in touch with our body, whatever we are doing is the key to staying present and not having accidents but being caring and supportive of ourselves. Thank you for this short but very poignant blog.
Yes I completely agree with what you have written Elaine. It does highlight how Serge never tells us what to do – it’s one of the things that I find really refreshing because the world is FILLED with people telling us what to do and how to do it!
Totally loving this Greg, I have a similar experience with surfing…Not once has anyone told me “not” to do anything. In fact I get asked how it’s going too, and then get to have the conversation with people about how surfing makes me feel, what it does to my body, what it’s like when I do it…rather than this constant male bravado thing of not being allowed to talk about it. Such a truer way of being.
Greg, thanks for sharing your ski experience. I always thought one day I would try skiing, I lived in Colorado for 2 years where some of the best ski slopes where, but I was so busy with work I never got round to it and before I knew it I was back in the Uk. There was once upon a time when I enjoyed the cold, but now I really enjoy the warmth and cannot see myself out in the cold for hours. So skiing I will say, is off my list of adventures!
Greg, I was a keen skier, snowboarder and would go once or twice a season….after a while, I found it was more about the social aspect or the food and drink rather than the skiing. I would try things that were extreme (but not too extreme!) however, whenever I was going down the mountain I was always a bit tense that I would crash into someone (or vica-versa)! My life has changed now and the pull to go skiing is no longer there, perhaps because I would often end up with a very sore body which is not so appealing!
There is so much in this world to be enjoyed. As you have clearly described the difference in the way you approach each moment, or activity, governs the outcome, whether that be a “joy-full” connection to the true you or a “push” to be something other than what is naturally you. A great example of the differences.
Thanks Greg, my experiences of skiing over the years have led to many near misses with other skiers and ultimately led to a broken ankle. Similarly, in my younger days an incident on a motor bike left me with two broken ankles. I like walking now, being with myself, it’s not as fast but you have more time to appreciate the view, feel nature and have a greater chance of not breaking things.
Your comment made me smile, it’s funny how we risk harm to our bodies to get excitement – which probably only lasts short term… whereas you can appreciate a slightly slower pace for much longer, at a much lower risk to your body.
I love the sense of humour in your comment sjmatsonuk. So true what you say about walking, I find it gives me the space to smell the roses!
Thanks for sharing your experience of skiing Greg. Yes, I remember, being with yourself is key with this sport.
Great article.
I have never enjoyed sport. Fact.
Until Serge presented the notion of ‘being gentle’ to me. I always knew that I hated vigorous exercise because it used to make my body hurt, but now I do low-impact walking and dance (True Movement) which has really blown my “Allergic to Exercise” excuse out of the water. I can be fit and I don’t have to ruin my body to achieve it.
I feel the same way Cheryl, I never liked sport or how it made me feel emotionally or physically and for the first time I am enjoying exercise in the gentle way I have always known but didn’t fully accept as worth while…until I saw through Universal Medicine that it really was OK.
I am feeling more self honoring and so much more like the real me.
Good point, Jo – I used to dislike sport at school a lot because of how often it was used to pit us against one another in competition. It felt horrible before even participating in the sport because I knew there was an expectation to perform in a certain way… Exercising for me only feels so much more natural – and with that, it’s easy and enjoyable to do!
I agree Cheryl, I did not enjoy sport at school, I always felt such a pressure to perform and I usually ended up feeling like I had failed because I was not very good at most sports, this was not good for my confidence as a young woman. I now love true movement, walking and if I get the chance swimming, they feel so simple, so fun and there’s no pressure to perform.
Great Greg, I went skiing in my teens and found being out in the clean fresh air to be quite beautiful. I do remember getting a bit nervous when I went a little faster than felt safe so can very mildly relate to what the feeling of a double black run could be. Super scary! I can certainly see why you would choose to leave that thrill behind as it would be quite a strain on the body.
Yes, it’s all about the intention behind an activity… A choice. Being honest with how our body feels. Which can be exposing and is absolutely fundamental to understanding ourselves and others. To consider if we are in a certain drive when we undertake an activity is a beautiful simple truth. Thank you for sharing you experience.
I completely agree Samantha, whatever the activity I now realise that I have a choice about my underlying intention.
So true Samantha and Kathie. I used to exercise to keep the weight off and make myself feel like I’ve done something good – neither intention comes with love or a deep respect for who I am and my body. My exercise, especially walks, are becoming very lovely- I often walk with the intention of reconnecting with myself and so walk appreciating my beauty.
Hi Greg, when I was in the army I went on a 2 week skiing trip but could never get the hang of it so I spent most of the time ‘in’ the snow, but it was fun. Other sports I was very good at and competed at a much higher level. It was only through attending Universal Medicine events that I became aware that my biggest reason for competing was to gain acceptance and recognition. I, also, have never heard Serge Benhayon say not to play sports or exercise, only to see how it feels in our bodies when we do compete or push ourselves in exercise. The sports I play now I play just for fun and I exercise very gently now, listening to my body when it is telling me to stop and not push which has the effect of me feeling more vital and energised.
That’s a great point Tim, how the added edge of competition often makes us push our bodies beyond what is suitable or caring. Simple excercise without that drive, can be a lot of fun!
I love snowboarding and have always ‘taken it easy’, I have preferred to be in control, cruising and enjoying myself rather than pushing my body hard. What has changed for me, since my introduction to Universal Medicine, is I have started to make little adjustments to the way I snowboard, I no longer feel the need to go up whatever the weather and I eat food to support the exercise I am doing rather than the chips and pasta that left me feeling ill.
I’ve always been very ‘sporty’ and competitive when I was younger, and yes some serious skiing too. What I have learnt from studying with Universal Medicine is that I do not need to be pushing my body to the limits thereby damaging it, but have always been encouraged to feel my own body and stay with that when exercising. As a result I’ve developed for myself some great routines and ways of exercising in the gym, swimming and walking so I am as fit as I have ever been but no longer suffer the injuries that used to be such a regular occurrence before.
I enjoyed skiing a couple of times in the past as when I was in my twenties I picked it up really quickly and had a great time with no fear or regard for myself. The last time I had a go at it I was probably about forty and it was late in the season and a lot of the snow had turned to ice. I had some horriffic wipe outs, very surprising I didn’t break my neck or something. I think I will leave skiing, along with the motorcycle riding I did in the past with the younger me.
Well expressed, and such a great example of the truth of what Serge Benhayon presents. Never has he told us not to exercise, in fact the opposite. Exercise, done in the right energy, completely supports us – to not look after our bodies in this way is harmful. Your story and personal experiences are perfect examples – there is a difference in how you go about a particular exercise and that makes the difference. You can still train hard, you can still compete, but the way in which you do them is tantamount.
I tried skiing once and it was way too scary for me – that feeling of being out of control on a slippery surface, and I don’t like falling. I used to roller skate and ice skate but years ago, not now. It’s amazing how we push ourselves in sport with hard games like squash, for example. Eventually our bodies let us know what to carry on doing and what to let go of.
I have never skied, but I have wondered at times how people could make it look so effortless. I now can see there is more to it all than meets the eye from what you have written, Greg. Most of what I’ve seen has been televised for the Winter Olympics and I can now see the skiers push themselves beyond the natural limits of their bodies during their runs, over and over again, in their efforts to win a medal. How different from the skiing you and Dragana describe, where you stay connected to your body and simply ski for the joy of it. That sounds way more enjoyable to me.
I love skiing. Although I can be / am very fast I have always described myself as a ‘cautious skier’ – in other words, I have never liked to push my body beyond what it felt comfortable with. Still, my skiing has changed (gently tweaked ;)) since I got introduced to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine and since I have opened up to listen to what my body has to say even more. Like you Greg, I can enjoy any black as much as any blue run.
To me skiing is now about being toasty warm, sheer sunshine, no wind, a beautiful rhythm of swish-swoosh, left, right, left, right – most times it feels like gentle dancing on snow. There is a certain consistency with that rhythm to practice too – just like other aspects of my life really. 🙂 It’s also an activity that reflects back to me how absolutely pivotal it is that I stay consciously present 100% of the time with me and the rhythm of skiing. My children / friends have often asked how come I can go so fast but I almost never fall, and I can only put it down to staying in my conscious presence. The moment I ‘wonder off’ I either wobble or fall!
I have never skied Dragana, but the way you describe it here sounds so lovely, I can feel the “swish-swoosh” and your beautiful rhythm.
Awesome Greg – you have expressed so beautifully about what it feels like to ski and stay connected to your body at the same time, that it makes me want to try a green run.