28/12/2025
Is SATAN Nature or Nurture? I’ve noticed that practices like yoga, martial arts, breathwork, even stillness and slow walking, often get labelled as satanic or unhealthy. When I look closer, that criticism usually comes from fear of what’s unfamiliar rather than what’s actually harmful.
Anything involving breath, awareness, discipline, or inner regulation tends to be mistrusted, despite those same qualities appearing throughout scripture, fasting, silence, self-control, stewardship of the body.
Health-wise, people point to extremes to discredit the whole thing. But misuse exists everywhere, in gyms, sports, diets, and stress driven lifestyles. The issue isn’t the movement, it’s the way it’s practiced.
What stands out to me is that anything that calms the nervous system, builds self awareness, and reduces dependency often gets the strongest resistance.
These aren’t belief systems. They’re tools.
The real question is simple… does this bring me back into balance and responsibility, or not?
Below is a hierarchy of movement, from most integrative to more conditional. None are bad, but some nourish the whole being more deeply.
Walking
Spiritually, walking is grounding and rhythmic. It naturally brings awareness back into the body and into the present moment. Many spiritual traditions used walking as a form of meditation because it restores presence without force.
Psychologically, walking calms the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and improves clarity. The gentle, repetitive movement helps regulate emotions and process thoughts naturally.
From a vitality perspective, walking supports circulation, lymphatic flow, digestion, joint health, and recovery. It heals rather than depletes. If humans lost every other form of movement, walking alone could preserve health.
Martial arts and conscious combat (kung fu, tai chi, etc.)
Spiritually, true martial arts teach discipline, humility, respect, and inner stillness under pressure. They are about self-mastery rather than aggression.
Psychologically, they build confidence, boundaries, emotional regulation, and focus. They give structure to anger, fear, and excess energy rather than suppressing it.
In terms of vitality, martial arts strengthen tendons, bones, coordination, breath control, and nervous system resilience. This is movement that trains the will, not just the muscles.
Breath led movement (qigong, yoga, conscious stretching)
Spiritually, breath led movement reconnects the body to breath, the bridge between physical life and the nervous system.
Psychologically, it calms overstimulation, releases stored tension and emotion, and teaches listening instead of forcing.
From a vitality standpoint, it improves flexibility, circulation, organ function, posture, and energy efficiency. This type of movement restores energy rather than borrowing it from tomorrow.
Playful, free, and childlike movement
Spiritually, play reconnects us to joy, curiosity, and spontaneity, states closest to the soul.
Psychologically, it dissolves rigidity, seriousness, and emotional stiffness.
For vitality, it restores natural ranges of motion, balance, agility, and coordination. Play is the body remembering itself.
Functional strength (bodyweight, carries, natural resistance)
Spiritually, this type of strength grounds a person into responsibility and usefulness.
Psychologically, it builds confidence and stability without obsession or comparison.
From a vitality perspective, it strengthens joints, bones, connective tissue, and posture in a way that supports real life rather than aesthetics. The body respects strength that serves life.
High intensity or competitive exercise (use carefully)
Spiritually, this type of movement can disconnect a person when driven by ego, punishment, or comparison.
Psychologically, it can help release stress if balanced, but becomes harmful when compulsive.
For vitality, it improves conditioning short term but can tax the nervous system, joints, and recovery capacity if overused. Useful in seasons, destructive if it becomes identity.
The common thread in healthy movement isn’t intensity or appearance.
It’s whether the movement is rhythmic, breath led, purposeful, restorative, and aligned with nature.
The body doesn’t want to be conquered or pushed into submission.
It wants to be listened to.
Movement isn’t about becoming something else.
It’s about returning to what we already are
Go deeper in the teachings that unlock your true potential in our Online Return to Natural Living Course or our FREE PDF download
https://www.joyofnutrition.co.uk/challenges
