The Philippine Online Chronicles

Ernie Talag's martial arts dojo in Metrolane Compound, 20^th Street corner P. Tuazon Street, Project 4, Cubao, Quezon City has a full-on mirror in front, from floor to roof and a 1.5-inch rubber padding on the floor to cushion the frequent falls of his students when thrown in mid-air. Surely, I thought, my daughter be delirious with joy if I brought her here, the session being a cross between waltzing and rolling along the floor every which way, almost like being in Dante Varona's stunt-packed movie in the 70's.

I admit I had a lot of fun. I joined the lecture with Sensei Ernie teaching us about Aikido and how it relates to inner wellness. “Ai” is Japanese for harmony, and “Chi” for energy; so Aikido is about the mind and body being unified. That, according to Sensei Ernie,is oneness, or wellness – inside and out.

Aikido centeredness

Being unified takes root in “hara” or centering. A man or a woman's center is 1-1.5 inches below the navel, I was told. If you concentrate on that center, you are unified. If you've watched Jessica Soho's expose on those magnetic balance bracelets, or if you've bought one, you would know that an arm outstretched, when tensed, can still be bent by another person, but when Aikido- unified, this is impossible.

I was apprehensive at first, the skeptic that I am. Sensei Ernie sensed this and showed me his arm, demonstrating its tensed versus its unified states. I was able to bend the tensed arm, and he made me feel the relaxed muscles of the unified arm. Yes, they felt like butter in strawberry pancakes. Then he told me to bend them with all my might. I might look fragile, but I had force, and force that arm to bend at the elbow I tried, but to no avail, relaxed as it was. That made me a convert. The proof that he was relaxed was that he could even move his fingers as I tried to break his unified state.

Same thing happens with our mind. When we are angry or depressed, we are not centered. Sensei Ernie tells us to focus on our center, then breathe in and out, with the exhalations much longer, and be at peace with the situation by accepting then blessing it.

Being at peace or being centered or unified is a state everyone covets. Money will not buy it. Success, as we define it in material terms, will not earn it. Fame will not certainly fetch it for us. Even love, sweet love, is ultimately a poor substitute for it especially if it is love that tends to be possessive of the loved one.

Different folks, different strokes. Various people take their own road to inner wellness. Aikido is one of them, yoga another -- as Ernie Talag who is a practitioner of both would be sure to assert. I asked other people and got many more answers.  My conclusion:  more and more Pinoys are exploring and searching for that elusive good:  wholistic wellness.

Fasting or water therapy, which is another take for it, cleanses the colons of toxins that might have accumulated or remained as we take in a plethora of food – solid or junk -- everyday.

Let’s take it from our Muslim kababayan, whose Ramadan tradition gives them an opportunity for an annual month-long physical and spiritual recharging through fasting and prayer.

Muslims are called upon to use the month of the Ramadan to re-evaluate their lives and make peace with those who have wronged them, strengthen ties with family and friends and do away with bad habits. Essentially, it aims to clean up their lives, their thoughts, their feelings and, may I add, their bodies.

The Arabic word for fasting is sawm which literally means “to refrain” – not only from food and drink but from evil actions, thoughts and words.

Jehan Sampao, a lady lawyer at the Public Attorney’s Office, who is of the Muslim faith, elaborates:

During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.

Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.

From dawn to dusk , we go without sustenance and shun earthly desires. From the time fast, it becomes a test of patience. Aside from food and water, we are required to refrain from being angry or mad. Any sexual activity is not allowed during fasting.

With some prodding from me, Atty. Sampao quotes a related passage from the Quran during the interview.

Come, I will rehearse what Allah has (really) prohibited you from: join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents; kill not your children on a plea of want - we provide sustenance for you and for them - come not nigh to shameful deeds, whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus does He command you, that you may learn wisdom." [Suraat-al-An'am (Cattle) 6:151]

The food we take in can define the peace within

Healthy nutrition equals a sound body which is fundamental for a sound psyche. Personally, I cannot imagine how we can enjoy the other good things in life if our body were sick, decaying, and hurting.

Lissa del Mundo, who used to teach Nutrition in the College of Home Economics at UP Diliman, reminds us of the most basic rule in eating, something we have all been taught since grade school but have managed to to constantly forget:

We should never disregard having a healthy and balanced diet. Balanced, meaning different types of foods from the different food groups (Go, Grow & Glow Foods) each day.

The principle of variety should always be part of our daily diet. One may consult the Food Pyramid and/or the Guide to Good Nutrition for simple, easy to follow nutrition principles and prescribed food combinations. ( www.fnri.dost.gov.ph )

What about food supplements, I asked her. (Like most people, I have been bombarded with stories, testimonials, and advertisements about so many of these, to my utter confusion.)

As the term suggests, ‘herbal supplements’ are taken just to supplement whatever nutrients are lacking in foods that we regularly eat.

Herbal supplements may be effective in preventing as well as treating disorders and symptoms of disorders. Other herbal supplements may: help people in coping with stress, aid digestion, lower cholesterol, improve vision, increase metabolism and facilitate weight loss, boost the immune system, lower the blood sugar, contain antioxidants that protect the body from heart disease and some cancers, etc. (http://www.herbal-supplements-guide.com/medicinal-herbs.html)

I believe in the health and therapeutic benefits of herbal supplements especially if all-natural ingredients are used. But consumers should be careful when buying commercially sold herbal supplements since one can never be sure if the natural ingredients stated in the packaging are really the ones used in making the herbal supplement.

Lisa herself only drinks green tea and no other herbal supplements.

I then asked Lissa about comfort foods that purport to help us feel good fast. She answers gamely:

Comfort foods are different for different people. Some of them are: (1) associated with happy memories (related to childhood or love life, (2) cooked by their moms at home, (3) easy to prepare, (4) what they eat when they are depressed or have problems, (5) what they eat when they are happy, (6) or their favourite food.

Foods with chocolate and pepper are the most frequent comfort foods. According to http://www.chocolate.org/,chocolate triggers the release of endorphins that “reduce the chocolate-eater's sensitivity to pain and which contribute to the warm inner glow induced in susceptible chocoholics.” Red chilli pepper on the other hand contains capsaicin that also stimulates the release of endorphins. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphin)

Turning her attention to vegetarian food, she says:

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides that antioxidants and phytochemicals that protect against DNA damage. Thus, they are effective in combating cancer in the sense that they protect against cancer cell proliferation. (http://www.vegsource.com/harris/cancer_vegdiet.htm)

Lissa confirms the benefits from fasting already expounded on by Atty. Sampao. It does help cleanse the digestive system, she agrees.

After digestion and absorption of foods, solid wastes go to the large intestines. During fasting, when there is no food intake, solid wastes are not produced. This gives time for the muscles of the large intestines to rest and to be cleansed of whatever has been built up on its walls. (http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4565703_fasting-cleanse-large-intestine.html )

Finally, I asked her to relate wellness of the mind and body through nutrition.

To improve wellness of the mind and body, one should see adequate nutrition as an essential part of daily living. All the needed nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, water) as well as non-nutritional components (such as antioxidants and phytochemicals) should be supplied by a wide variety of natural foods. When all the needed nutrients are supplied through proper diet, every part of the body will function properly, all mechanisms inside the body will proceed normally, and many illnesses of mind and body will be prevented.

Proper exercise should be partnered with adequate diet. Also, proper nutrition education should be available to all people in order to help each one improve his or her nutritional status.

(Lagua, Rosalinda T. and Virginia S. Claudio. Nutrition and Diet Therapy Reference Dictionary. 4th ed. New York: Chapman & Hall, 1996.)

(Editor's note: Read about other ways to attain inner peace and centeredness in Part 2 of this two-part series)

Photo: “a2898” by Serge Senkovich, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

Photo: “SHABU-WAY” by Raycoy Doop (JW), c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved