In the past, I have written blog posts and shared my story, experiences, and discovered truths about myself on various “influencers’” shows. Typically, I have focused on the physical body as the starting point of my story. Just these first two sentences might prompt you to ask questions like, “Doesn’t he know he has a physical body?” or lead to different attitudes or perspectives. That’s all fine with me, but in this story, I won’t focus on what someone taught me in school, what I learned from my parents, or read in books. Here, I set all that aside to tell the story of how I discovered my physical body.
Before delving into this story, I want to highlight something important that I also discovered in my childhood. I didn’t believe in limitations; I was always curious about what I was capable of. Not in an egotistical sense to accumulate wealth, fame, or other values, but to understand the true potential I could achieve in this life. These may seem like the same thing, but they are diametrically opposed: one is driven by the ego, while the other is guided by myself.
My deeper journey of self-discovery began in 2012 and lasted several years to fully comprehend the insights I gained. Even today, I continue to develop my physical body and observe its functioning consciously, but let’s start from the beginning. The book The Five Tibetans played a significant role in my discovery of the physical body. As the name suggests, it refers to five physical exercises designed to promote health and longevity. I began practicing these exercises daily. What I like most about them is that they not only involve physical movements but also introduce deeper knowledge about human vitality.
The exercises are structured so that you start with three repetitions and gradually work up to 21 repetitions for each exercise. Every week, three additional repetitions are added to the previous week’s count. For instance, in the first week, each exercise is done three times; in the second week, six times; in the third week, nine times, and so on. This allows the body to adapt to the new way of functioning and the added load. For me, this was a new “habit” I was acquiring. Initially, I experienced fatigue and reluctance to start the exercises, but once I overcame these resistances, I felt much better and more energized afterward.
I reached a weekly practice level of 15 repetitions per exercise. This is already quite strenuous, especially with leg-lifting exercises. In the leg-lifting exercise, you lie on your back and lift your legs to a 90-degree angle relative to your torso. I distinctly remember nearing 15 repetitions, and as I approached that number, the pain in my abdominal area intensified. At one point, I realized that while the pain was in my abdominal region, my sense of self was located in my head. That was the moment I understood: I am not the pain because the pain is there (in the abdomen), and I am here (in the head). This realization was a powerful “aha” moment, sparking curiosity about my true potential. If I am not the pain, what could be the maximum I am capable of? I continued with the leg lifts, reaching 30 repetitions.
Of course, it wasn’t easy; it was extremely demanding, and the pain in my abdominal muscles was immense. So much so that I could no longer control the descent of my legs with my abdominal muscles and simply dropped my body to the side. Naturally, my mind flooded with thoughts like, “Why did I do that?” or “Was it necessary?” Yet, I realized this was a breakthrough moment. I didn’t fully understand the breakthrough then, but it was a significant milestone in my journey of self-discovery.
Just as school has tests and exams after lessons, life teaches similarly. I remember this “test” vividly. When I got home, I accidentally slammed my finger in the iron door. Yes, it was very painful — so much so that I felt sparks fly from my eyes. But I recalled the earlier lesson about pain: the pain is experienced in the finger, and I am here (again in the head). Restoring this awareness or pure consciousness, I “sobriety” returned, and I ran cold water over my finger. Within a few minutes, the pain subsided enough not to interfere with my focus on the next tasks. Normally, this incident would have involved much more “drama,” but this time, I surprised myself by continuing with my activities as if nothing had happened just minutes later.
I can offer broad suggestions for exploring your physical body. First, learn to notice your physical body — how it functions, its autonomy, and how your actions affect it and its processes. If you hold attitudes about your body, such as feeling it’s too thin, too fat, too tall, or too short, set those aside. These are learned subconscious reactions — both mental and emotional. They can distract from the exercise, so let them go and focus on the steps outlined in the exercise. Even if you stray from the exercise topics, return to them. Over time, the process will become easier.
When viewed this way, it becomes clear that the physical body functions as an independent unit. Breathing occurs without your intervention; the heartbeat continues on its own, as do cellular processes. The physical body is a remarkable and capable biological entity. I hope this small story and exercise have helped you discover truths about your physical body.