The first
time I read this, the Latin aphorism “Mens sana in corpore
sano” came to my
mind. This aphorism is usually translated as "A sound mind in
a sound body" in English and as "Mente sana en cuerpo sano" in Spanish.
This aphorism appears in “Satire X”, a poem in which desirable
things in life are listed. This poem was written by the Roman poet Juvenal in the late 1st and
early 2nd centuries AD. Besides, it is part of the well known collection of
sixteen satirical poems divided among five books, “The Satires”.
Here is the English translation of the poem:
You should pray for a healthy mind in
a healthy body.
Ask for a stout heart that has no fear
of death,
and deems length of days the least of
Nature's gifts
that can endure any kind of toil,
that knows neither wrath nor desire
and thinks
the woes and hard labours of Hercules
better than
the loves and banquets and downy
cushions of Sardanapalus.
What I commend to you, you can give to
yourself;
For assuredly, the only road to a life
of peace is virtue.
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It can be construed to mean that
only a healthy body can produce or sustain a healthy mind. It can also be said
that a physical and mental health are the root of our welfare. In my case, I not
only share those ideas but also hold the idea that our body has such a perfect
mechanism than every single piece of it is connected to one another. When I mention
pieces I am not only making reference to organs but also feelings and spiritual
states.
The existence of a soul is something
I don’t mistrust, in fact, I think that it is the one that exerts the most
powerful influence over the most important hints of our personality. Personality that guides the way in which we
cope with every situation from life... Situation that always entails a sum of emotional
reactions... Emotional reactions that end up affecting our organs.
It is our responsibility to take
care of our health. We are the ones in charge of keeping our soul white and in
peace by the way in which we behave; we are the only ones that can control every
reaction and apply different strategies that can help us to be at ease despite
the toughness of the situation we have to face and in that way, prevent our
body from undergoing stress, diabetes, pressure problems, cancer and an endless
etcetera.
Let’s pay attention to the ways in
which we act and react. Let’s place our welfare at the top of the list of our
priorities. By doing so, everything will get better... Welfare is a condition
that has to be constructed and that construction needs to be balanced and
systematic.
Feeling well and being healthy is
up to us and ends up being a lifestyle.
Thanks, Andy
Sources
Great reflection, Andrea! I strongly agree with the idea that a healthy mind leads to a healthy body. All the things we think, feel and believe have an effect on us, and on our bodies. Most negative emotions and thoughts may give us headaches, stomach-aches, insomnia, stress, cramps, and muscle pain, among the minor consequences. What is more, I’ve also read (I don’t’ remember the name of the article) that some feelings such as envy, greed, and wrath could even originate some chronic conditions!!
ResponderEliminarSo, even though it sounds a cliché, in order to be and look healthy we must have nice thoughts and feelings. Of course, it’s not that easy when we live difficult moments, but we have bear in mind that: “Everybody wants happiness; no one wants pain. But you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain”. =)
It's nice to know that you liked it! I strongly believe in the existence of a connection between the different parts that compound us: Mind, body and soul. They need to be in equilibrium and have to take care of each of them.
EliminarVery interesting topic!I also agree with you girls. Many of us think that just a good diet and exercise plan are important, but I think that our mood and mind play a big part in a complete healthy life. Once I heard that "we feel emotions in our bodies" so we have to be careful. We should try to change negative thoughts and feelings into positive, rational, motivating thoughts, and in doing so, we could help create a healthy mind in a healthy body.
ResponderEliminar