Want an Awesome Body?
You already have one. Allow me to explain…
Have you ever looked at pictures of deep space and marvelled at the intricacy and mystery of the universe and how it all fits together? I do this from time to time when I want my mind blown. It certainly makes my mundane problems seem pretty, well, mundane. Even just one space fact is enough to upend my egocentric perspective and reset my humility and awe.
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
"The sheer size of space makes it impossible to accurately predict just how many stars we have. Right now, scientists and astronomers use the number of stars only within our galaxy, The Milky Way, to estimate. That number is between 200-400 billion stars and there are estimated to be billions of galaxies. So the number of stars in space really is completely uncountable." – Source: www.theplanets.org
Random question - When was the last time you stopped to appreciate the miracle that is your own body?
Bodies get a bad rap. We push them, ignore them, override them, compare them, criticise them. Some fitness instructors would even have us declare war on them. Many spiritual traditions champion the transcendence of the physical body as the path to awakening. Our primal instincts are often seen as dirty, dangerous, unenlightened etc.
And yet the fact remains: nothing happens to us that our bodies aren’t a part of. Exactly zip. Nada. Zero. I could go on a rant about the wisdom of the body and the value of including it as a keystone of personal integration work. Another time perhaps.
For now, let’s take a moment to turn our stargazing wonderment to the glorious entity that is the human body.
Here are some fun facts:
If you were to uncoil your DNA, it would measure 10 billion miles. That’s the distance from Earth to Pluto and back.
Your brain contains 86 billion nerve cells, which are joined together by 100 trillion connections. Remember how many stars there are in the Milky Way? That’s a pretty impressive galaxy you’ve got going on in your head!
The average person walks about 100,000 miles (160,934 km) in their lifetime. That’s four laps of the Earth via the Equator.
An adult human body contains a cool seven octillion atoms. That’s 7 followed by 27 zeros, for those playing along at home.
The human body contains over 35 trillion cells. Earth has a population of around 7 billion people. So, there are 5,000 times more cells in your body than there are people on the planet.
Pretty magical stuff, hey?
Next time you find yourself doubting or taking for granted the power and majesty of your flesh suit, maybe take a glance out into space. Then flip your perspective and revel in the magnificent, dancing universe within you.
You’re a freaking miracle. Enjoy!
Jules Sutherland is a performing artist, writer, speaker and belly laugher. She’s founder of Perpetual Mojo Productions, and a Senior Editor for Blue Angel and Blue Gaia Publishing.