Chapter 11. Biofitness Fun
Relato led Scott outside. On a wide lawn were fields for running and jumping, great gravel tracks for racing, bars for climbing, and a bright, still, sunlit pool shimmering beneath viewing stands and a throne. Scott had never seen anything like this in all his life. The swimming pool was long with water laps of multiple colors. The climbing bars formed a fifty-foot bronze mountain of lattice sculpture with safety ropes hanging from every peak.
The fields were sectioned off and manicured for every specific sport. At one end of the field was an enormous building of stone with two central pillars encompassing the field in a semicircle with many windows and rooms. There were gargoyles carved into the arched entrance between the two pillars. As they moved closer Scott read the engraving across the enormous mahogany doors: “The Biorhythm Academy.” And underneath in smaller letters: “Carpe Diem.”
Scott shouted with excitement, “So this is the school! And that must be its motto – ‘Seize the Day.’” He was proud of knowing that little bit of Latin.
Relato laughed. “Yes, this is where the greatest minds of all time share their wisdom.” Relato wanted Scott to appreciate the connection between exercise and emotions. “Exercise is another excellent way to fight depressed feelings. A physical body workout builds endorphins in the brain.”
“What are endorphins?” Scott asked with a bewildered look. He was learning so many new terms!
“Endorphins are hormones that the brain releases into the bloodstream to circulate through the body to stimulate it in a positive way. They affect your emotions and lift you up in both body and spirit. They give you a better feeling about yourself and the world. That’s why endorphins are called mood elevators. They are the body’s natural stress reliever. It all has to do with nature. Once you know how your body works, you can make it work for you.”
Scott looked mystified. He wondered what kind of exercises could raise a person’s mood. “Is that what the Mind/Bodybuilders were doing in the meadow when I saw them perform strange movements with their arms and legs?”
“Precisely!” Relato affirmed, pleased that Scott had made the connection. He lunged forward into a training stance to demonstrate. “That was the special Biofitness workout – part of our daily routine. You see, here in Cortex, we believe very strongly in both mental fitness and bodily fitness. We do not consider exercise work; it’s a training program, a wonderful learning experience, not a job.”
Scott nodded, but was still perplexed. “Anger creates negative tension,” Relato explained. “Exercise is how we create positive tension to balance the energy flow, and reverse it to positive energy again. Negative tension is just another way of saying, ‘Welcome, Angroid.’ If he takes over, he spoils your happiness, and Joey’s, even your Mom and Dad’s, or any person’s you are interacting with. Don’t forget that your body and your attitudes are interwoven. Anger makes the body tense. Happiness makes it relax. Biofitness exercises relax both the body and the mind.”
“I still don’t get it.” Scott scratched his head with a befuddled look.
“I’ll prove it to you.” Relato made a mean face. “Look at me. I am angry and I’m frowning at you. How does that make you feel?”
Scott shrank back. “Mad, sad, and a little scared. It makes me feel as if you don’t like me.”
“Precisely!” Relato then made a pleasant face. “Now look at me, I am smiling and saying I like you, and I think we will have fun together. How does that make you feel?”
“Wow!” Scott straightened up and beamed with delight. “That makes me feel better, I’m smiling too, and I feel happier. This is amazing!”
Relato smiled. “Now you’re starting to understand the key to a peaceful and fit mind, body, and spirit. I’m going to let you in on a Cortex state secret.” He made a show of looking left and right, then, leaning over to Scott’s ear he cupped a hand to the side of his mouth and whispered. “It is the holistic structure of our education system implemented through the Biorhythm Academy that provides a very peaceful and healthy society here on Cortex. Through language, which is right brain activity, and music which is left brain activity, we are able to balance our learning and the development of our EQ, PQ, and IQ.”
Scott nodded that he thought he understood.
Relato straightened up and explained further in a confident voice. “We must grow strong physically as well as mentally. I watch over my Cortex Rescue Team so they don’t let any Viroids take over. Viroids especially like to go after children, but they can go after adults too. We have daily exercise training as part of our mind, body, and emotional fitness programs. We call it the Biofitness Club. Biofitness is when you tighten your muscles in a particular position and hold them there for a few seconds while you move in a controlled, slow motion dance. This develops good posture and strengthens the core muscles. It is also known as body shaping. Your posture and your breathing are important in keeping your mind alert. For example, have you ever felt tired while sitting in school and not able to concentrate, and then fallen into a slumped position?”
“Sure, by third or fourth period I can’t concentrate at all,” Scott shrugged. “I kind of go into a daydream sometimes.”
“Well,” Relato nodded, “you are not meant to sit completely still for such a long period of time. When you fall into a slumped posture, this compromises the oxygen in your body making you tired. Occasionally, you need to adjust your posture expanding your chest, and take some deep breaths to rejuvenate yourself.” Relato stood very straight and inhaled air through his nose. “If you roll your shoulders back, hold your head up, and take in a deep breath when you feel tired, it will bring the oxygen to your brain and muscles making you alert. Then, you will be able to concentrate much better. Try it, and you will see that it makes all the difference.”
“So that’s why I get tired.” Scott straightened his posture and held his head high. Copying Relato’s breathing, he expelled a gust of air through his mouth. “Boy, that really woke me up and made me feel better. There are a lot of things I have to learn about my body that affect my energy level.”
Relato raised his scepter and smiled in agreement. “Precisely! I would say you have learned a lot in a short time. But remember that learning never stops with age or time. Now you are beginning to connect your experiences.” As he sat down next to Scott, Relato formed a circle with the light from his scepter. Inside the circle, the hologram TV screen flickered on again. The Cortex Mind/Bodybuilders who had saved Scott were seen in the meadow doing their exercise routine.
“Would you like to join them, Scott?” Relato asked.
“Awesome,” Scott radiated excitement.
Relato stood up, raised his scepter with the attached screen and in one curving motion of his arm, swept the screen through Scott, instantly depositing him in the meadow with the Mind/Bodybuilders.
As Scott happily joins their routine they are suddenly attacked by the Viroids. This time Scott is not afraid. He sees Angroid and takes off after him, chasing him past the flowers and along the bank of the stream that borders the meadow. Scott is gaining on Angroid and almost catches him, but Angroid makes a sharp turn and disappears into the woods. Scott tries to stop his momentum and teeters on the edge of the bank. In that moment, he realizes that if he had done more exercises he’d have better control of his balance – then falls into the water.
Scott spins through a dark tunnel and is ejected out into bright daylight. He finds himself in knee-deep water furiously splashing and flailing his arms and legs. Looking up, he sees Eli and Angelina on the bridge.
Scott had returned through the same portal, transcending space and time, he landed back in the exact moment he had left. To his friends watching from the bridge, only a few seconds had elapsed. Rubbing a small bump on his head as he climbs out of the water, he says, “What happened?”
His mother runs up as he comes out of the stream, dripping wet. “Who is Relato?” Scott wonders to himself. This was more than
a dream; it was a dream with a meaningful message I will never forget.
He tries to do some of the martial moves he remembers the Mind/Bodybuilders doing to show Eli and Angelina. “Mom, can’t we stay here for an exercise session? I want to build myself up.”
His mother, looking relieved says, “You’re soaking wet! What happened? Are you sure you’re okay?” When Scott continues to exercise, she takes him by the hand and says, “I’m happy that you want to exercise, but let’s wait until tomorrow. We have to get you home and dry before you catch cold. Today has been exciting enough!”
Scott looks at his mother and thinks, “You don’t know how exciting my day has been!”
The next morning, when Scott wakes up, he finds a CD glowing with an amazing light sitting on his desk, and a mysterious little wooden box with intricate carvings of the Mind/Bodybuilders. As he touches the disc, his body feels a surge of positive energy and overall warmth.
Eli, Angelina, and his little brother, Joey, arrive just as he is putting the glowing disc into his CD player. Scott swears them all to secrecy as he shows them the box containing an Inner National Bank of Worth transaction sheet. They huddle together and lock pinkies, to make their secret pact.
To their amazement, they are all able to easily follow the Biofitness routine, and as the music begins, they all sing …
Activity – Not Passivity
Performed by Grandmaster Melle Mel
(Visit www.theportalinthepark.com for audio)
Activity not passivity, come on, activity not passivity.
Listen to the sound, spread it all around.
Come on y’all get down, now we’re gonna show you how.
We got that activity, not passivity, come on, activity not passivity
Listen to the sound, spread it all around.
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s easy as
ONE, TWO, THREE.
Put your hands up, now everybody put your hands down,
Now everybody spin your body around,
We gonna do some knee bends and jumpin’ jacks,
And when we’re done we’re gonna let you know it’s fun to react.
With foresight and hindsight get your mind right.
Wealth is when you see your inner self, with your eyesight.
Confidence, get yourself together,
Don’t let your life be measured by the peer pressure.
Come on activity not passivity, come on, activity not passivity.
Listen to the sound, spread it all around.
Come on ya all get down, now we’re gonna show you how.
We got that activity, not passivity.
Come on, activity not passivity.
Listen to the sound, spread it all around.
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s easy as
ONE, TWO, THREE.
It don’t take long to make yourself strong, sing along.
We can do it together with the energy song.
Must be tenacious, repel the rapacious.
No need to be vicious, don’t be bodacious.
Always be gracious, get yourself a program, man,
And wave your hands from side to side.
Pack your bags, life is a ride.
Have self-pride, don’t be a bigot.
Let me kick it,
And make the right moves.
You can write your own ticket. Uhh.
Activity not passivity, come on, activity not passivity,
Listen to the sound, spread it all around,
Come on ya all get down, now we’re gonna show you how.
We got that activity, not passivity.
Come on, activity not passivity.
Listen to that sound, spread it all around,
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s easy as
ONE, TWO, THREE.
Don’t be passive, don’t be shy.
Don’t be afraid to ask why, don’t be scared to try.
Mankind was designed to explore the universe,
Starburst you gotta know yourself first.
Knowledge starts with you and ends with us all.
Don’t ever be afraid to fall.
It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, y’all, that’s what’s up;
We only count the amount of times you get back up.
Now, come on activity not passivity, come on, activity not passivity.
Listen to the sound, spread it all around.
Come on ya all get down, now were gonna show you how.
We got that activity, not passivity.
Come on, activity not passivity.
Listen to that sound, spread it all around.
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s easy as
ONE, TWO, THREE.
Work your body, work your body,
And make sure you don’t hurt nobody.
Come on.
Uhh, hey.
The End
The Portal in the Park Page 12