I am reminded every day of the synchronicity, complexity, and uniqueness of the human form. I am blessed to see this daily in my professional life and in observing those around me. I see those that are a stooped posturing receive an adjustment and this translates into more upright erect posture. Personally, when I receive an adjustment this allows ease of movement and function, and I have a greater level of confidence in myself.
Physical elegance, which is what I am talking about here, comes from the body. This is no superficial matter but rather the way that man/woman found to honour the way they place their two feet on the ground.
Elegance is usually confused with superficiality, fashion, and a lack of depth. Picturing a ballerina performing a dance in her full glory or a marathon runner bounding effortlessly are images that come to mind. Yes, this is indeed elegant however there are other forms of elegance. Human beings have elegance in their actions and in their posture because this word is synonymous with good taste, amiability, equilibrium, and harmony.
The rapid development of a child from birth to age 2 is a beautiful image of this elegance in life. In a relatively short period of time, this totally dependent little person will learn the art of gross motor movement. This child who was unable to move independently can learn to run. It is elegance and poetry in motion.
One needs serenity and elegance to take the most important steps in life. Of course, let’s not go crazy worrying all the time about how we move our hands, sit down, smile, and look around us. Our brain has the ability to dampen the input into our nervous system to avoid overstimulation. As your reading this right now, you probably cannot feel the clothes on your body (but I may have just drawn your attention to it now!) yet your brain has perceived that there is stimulation of your skin from your clothes but reduced this sensory input. Your brain can process an image that your eyes have seen for as little as 13 milliseconds — less time than it takes for you to blink. This amazing detail and depth of processing our body can do is phenomenal.
Elegance is achieved when all that is superfluous has been discarded and the human being discovers simplicity and respect for our bodies. Our body speaks a language – even unconsciously – and other people understand what we are saying beyond the words.
I doubt that I have a future career as a ballerina or marathon runner yet I am elegant. Treating my body with respect and being in tune with its messages is my idea of elegance. Have you checked in with your elegance today?
