How many body’s do you have?
You can think about this as various bodies, or as various aspects of your body. If you can gather all your bodies/aspects, and convince them to all live together harmoniously in the being called you, then life is good. And long. And joyful.
Think of these bodies:
- Physcal
- Energetic
- Emotional
- Electrical/magnetic
- Spiritual
Your physical body is the one you know best. You and your doctor relate to it in a chemical way. Keeping your physical body chemically clean and fit is a very important aspect of staying healthy. It should have enough muscle tone, strength, and stamina to get you where you need to go on a daily basis. Regular exercise is indicated.
Your energetic body corresponds to what the Chinese see as Chi. You can be healthy, but be exhausted. The Chinese would say you need more Chi. More energy. Not only do you need more energy, but it needs to be able to move freely throughout your body. This is why we do Tai Chi and Chi Gong. Chi Gong generates energy, and Tai Chi gets it flowing through your body. Appropriate sleep is indicated.
Your emotional body should be composed, confident, and stress free. If you are afraid, in grief, in shock, or angry, your whole being is affected. For instance, if you are angry, your vision becomes more focused, your heart rate goes, up, the adrenaline levels go up, your stomach constricts, and your muscles clench. You can sustain this kind of activity for a short while, but if it persists, all kinds of physical manifestations will appear. Emotionally, the best thing for your body is joy. If you cultivate joy, your body can relax, be balanced, and your energy can flow. Cultivating joy is a skill well worth learning. Gratitude is indicated. Not to mention forgiveness.
You must forgive those who have transgressed against you, and forgive yourself for mistakes you made in the past. Mistakes are mistakes. Once made, you can’t undo them. In some cases you can ask for forgiveness and make restitution. If you can’t make restitution, you can always forgive. If someone isn’t willing to forgive you, then forgive them, forgive yourself, and bless that person. Wish them best, then go on about your life. If you harbor ill will towards someone, it doesn’t hurt them. It only hurts you.
Your electro-magnetic body. Your body runs on electricity. Your brain works by sending electrical messages down your nerves to let the muscles know what they should be doing. And then there is your brain. A beehive of electrical activity. If you keep your brain in tip top shape, it can ably control the rest of your body. This means you have to exercise your electrical system just as much as your muscular system. If you don’t use your brain, and use it well, on a daily basis, it will atrophy. If your brain isn’t in control, the next system to take control might just be chemical. Handing total control over to chemical addictions like alcohol or happy drugs is a pretty short term, short sighted solution.
Which brings is to the spiritual body. I don’t consider myself an expert on this subject, but I’m most joyful when I’m in service to others, and handing out copious servings of compassion. It’s up to you to figure out your place, and how best to live your life. You only get one shot at this, so best not waste it. If I were to give any advice on the matter, it would be to listen to your own deep authentic voice (you know, the one where you don’t have to ask if that’s true or not, you KNOW it’s true) and listen to what it says about how you should relate to the universe. I recommend quiet meditation to give the authentic voice a chance to speak up.
So what’s a body to do? Balance them all; that’s what. Each should get equal attention, gratitude, exercise, and nourishment. And all your various bodies should be happy to occupy the same being. You know, the one called “you.” No one body should take precedence over the others, nor should one body develop quirks, needs, or demands that usurp resources from another. Wouldn’t it be nice if all your bodies lived in concert? A joyful noise perhaps?