Finding Spirituality And Stillness In Your Exercise

It happened when I "accidentally" went mountain climbing on one trip to the desert. It wasn't a mountain really and I wasn't really climbing, stumbling was more like! But I strained every part of me to maneuver my way up a rocky slope. Being an inexperienced climber or hiker, I received a lot of scrapes and cuts from the merciless rocks, and yet, there was something so meaningful about it. It was like the rocks were teaching me a lesson. I instantly tuned in to my limbs, my heart rate, my sweat, and the harsh solid rock underneath me. I could feel a sort of harmony with all.
This spiritual elation remained with me for a couple of days afterwards and that was when I realized that there was more to exercise than I had previously unlocked and that I needed to find the kinds of exercise that will give me something akin to that experience, even if just an inkling of it.
I was not able to to repeat that experience very often, since it's not very easy to go out regularly into the desert and climb a mountain (if you can do that then I salute you).
So I started experimenting at home and outdoors as much as I could.

Outdoors

Swimming. There is something odd about swimming that leaves you cleansed and deliciously exhausted. You're not only tuning into to your body but to the glorious water around you.

Horseback Riding
I don't know if you would call that exercise but your legs sure come out of it feeling very wobbly! (If you're not trained that is). What I like about horseback riding is that it allows you the chance to connect with another life form! Horses have the gentlest souls.

Play a sport
A psychologist once said to me that what interferes with our performances is our ego. To achieve stillness before you play a sport allows you to be the best that you truly could be at that given moment, not more nor less. When you're focused on delivering something, the thoughts somehow vanish and it's an inner instinct that takes over and you can feel your body acutely. I don't play sports but I box on XBOX kinect and I experience that all the time (I always win too!). I'm sure however, that when playing a sport, that need to zone out from your usual self-talk, from the grind of life inside you, in order to find that inner harmony that lets you truly play emerges very often.

Indoors

Dance!
Try dancing! No really! Dancing, even if it's not organized or choreographed, combined with music allowes you to listen to your body's urges. And it's so much fun you'll go on for longer than you would have doing some mundane exercise you don't enjoy.

Pilates
You don't need to be in a gym studio in order to practice pilates. All you need is a pilates DVD for whichever level you choose and you can do it at home. Once you know the moves then you can find a place that really soothes you and practice. Pilates stretches you muscles in a way you would not think imaginable and the beauty of it is that you become so aware of your muscles and with that comes a great relief.

Exercise Machines
If you're the kind of person who likes to concentrate on one kind of strain or one body part, if the regularity of using fitness gym equipment soothes you then, it may be a good option for you to get a good machine that serves your fitness goals and use with full awareness of your body.

In conclusion...
I think spirituality in exercise is an attitude. You may be fond of exercises that are not mentioned here but, whether it is indoors or outdoors, as long as you can find a way to optimize your movement, you will get the most out of your exercise.