A sound mind in a sound body
Watching the Olympic Games, I admire beauty and strength of the sportsmen, their well-trained bodies and grace of puma. Their life is sport, and they pay much attention to it, sometimes even more time per day than it is needed for the sleeping, for example. But the result is awesome as well.
The cult of a healthy way of life is well-known from the old times. In fact, in Ancient Greece they devoted more time to the physical development of the children than it is used nowadays. The interest in sport and good shape is becoming fashionable at the present time. And that is why most people try to look after themselves, go to a gym regularly and even become interested in the alternative ways of keeping in shape like yoga, meditation and others.
A sound mind in a sound body. Perhaps everybody heard this phrase. But it is interesting to learn that in the ancient times the meaning of the phrase was very different in comparison with the modern one! Now people used to think that unity of a healthy body and a good mental state is pledge of happiness and success. But the original meaning of the phrase is sarcastic. The author of it meant something like "How this pile of the muscles can reflect?".
Thanks God, people have mixed everything with the flowing of the centuries and we've got a wonderful and very useful tendency of equal mind and body development.
Perhaps, that is why in the psychology it is so popular to regard a person as a unique creature whose development is very important. Perhaps, that is why it is a process that is recommended to start in the very childhood in order to seed the positive habits as early as it is possible. Perhaps, that is why we read the books about physical and mental health in order to improve. Perhaps, that is why unity of a healthy body and a healthy mind seems to be a universal panacea.
Of course, there is the truth in these statements. Let's try to look at this issue more carefully and understand what we need for keeping harmony of a body and soul and enjoying life at the same time.
