The role of our body on the journey of spiritual growth
The internal conflict
Despite our diverse background, we all seem to be suffering from one common internal conflict - feeling restrained while the desire to expand grows stronger each day. Everyday, we struggle with a force that we can’t see. We can’t pinpoint where the force comes from but its presence is so powerful that it weighs us down emotionally and physically. Some of us experience its presence more often than others. Depression and anxiety are the most common aftermath of this ominous force. Life is full of endless suffering when we can’t locate the source of the force that causes emotional turmoils within us.
The source of the internal conflict
1. The survival instinct: self-preservation
Our body creates the separation between us and the external world. The body’s structure is built with bones and the exterior is constructed with flesh and skin. The body is a shell that hosts the sense of who we are, brings us to places and helps us survive in the physical world. The idea of who we are comes from the accumulation of the sense of I. The sense of I starts to build an identify that represents who we are as soon as we start learning words and interacting with others.
When a young child learns that a sequence of sounds produced by the parents’ vocal cords is his or her name, the child begins to equate a word, which in the mind becomes a thought, with who he or she is. At that stage, some children refer to themselves in the third person. “Johnny is hungry.” Soon after, they learn the magic word “I” and equate it with their name, which they have already equated with who they are. Then other thoughts come and merge with the original I-thought. - Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p.28
It is a gradual and continuing process for the sense of I to create thought patterns that forge and strengthen the mental construct of who we are. Anything inside or attached to the body is I or mine. Everything that’s outside of this body and is not attached to this body is the other. Our instinct to survive thinks and acts on the self-preservation mode. We are weary of risks because they put our security in jeopardy. We focus on separation instead of unity.
2. The desire to love
There is another dimension within the body that’s separated from the sense of I. Most people are not aware of the existence of this dimension.
This dimension is the very source of life. It is this dimension that truly makes us who we are.” Sadhguru, Inner Engineering A Yogi’s Guide to Joy, p.91
When we introduce ourselves to other people, we often tell them about our name, where we’re from, what we do, the roles we play in life, etc. However, these labels are not who we really are. We are not the body and we are not the thoughts. The true self exists beyond the five senses of the body and thoughts. The true self is an extension of the creator trying to explore and expand infinitely. The true self is you and me and everyone else. Thus, we have the innate desire to expand. This desire to expand is why we are on Earth - to learn to love. To love ourselves and love others.
These seemingly opposing forces (the survival instinct and the desire to expand) cause us to suffer. We are eternal beings living a temporary human experience. We are in constant struggles between the physical reality and the metaphysics. Living in a state of such extreme conflict is insane. Of course we are unhappy, sad, depressed and anxious.
The roles of the physical body
Sometimes the physical body feels like a barrier to happiness and spiritual growth. For some people, the physical body is the main source of suffering due to disability, illness, etc. What is the purpose of having a physical body and what role does it play in the passage of spiritual growth?
A vehicle for our soul (true self/being/consciousness)
In order to function in this physical world, our soul needs a medium. The body is the manifestation of the soul. It operates automatically without us having to do anything. We don’t tell the heart how and when to pump blood into the veins, we don’t control the digestion, our nails and hair grow without us interfering, etc. The body is a sophisticated machine designed to help our soul explore, experience and learn lessons in the physical realm. We don’t operate this machine but we are its care takers. Without the body to create a sense of boundary, the soul wouldn’t strive to breakthrough. Just like butterflies penetrating the cocoons to complete the transformation, our souls need to go through the process of breaking free to progress. With a body that’s in a poor condition, it creates challenges that divert our attention from spiritual growth. Although in some cases, ailments in the body are crucial for the spiritual practice.
2. A learning experience
Energy manifests itself and turns into form. Manifestation is the process of being formless to form. The true self’s energy manifests in a physical body; and thoughts manifest in both tangible and intangible forms. Emotion is one of the manifestations of thoughts. Emotions are strong energy that affects the well-being of our soul and the body. Sometimes, pent up emotions manifest in the body as ailments. Being in tune with our body and noticing any sign of ailment is part of the spiritual practice.
“…the body is the creature of the mind. Certain sensations carry importance due to the charge or power which is felt by the mind upon the experience of this sensation…Each sensation that leaves the aftertaste of meaning upon the mind, that leaves the taste within the memory shall be examined.” - The Law of One, Session 65, p.102
3. The driving force for seeking the spiritual truth
“The human desire to transcend the limitations of the physical is a completely natural one. To journey from the boundary-based body to the boundless source of creation - this is the very basis of the spiritual process.” - Sadhguru, Inner Engineering A Yogi’s Guide to Joy
Work with the body to transcend beyond the boundary
Break the identification with the body
As long as we believe the body is us, our ability to perceive life and experience life will be very limited. We’re not our body and we’re not our thoughts. Recognizing the existence of the true self is the first step. However, understanding something is different from knowing it. We can’t know something without experiencing it. The essence of the spiritual journey is for us to experience our true self and then we’ll know our true self.
Experience life beyond the physical senses. The interactions we have with the external world are based on the five senses - seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. These 5 senses are like the tentacles of the ego. Through the senses and information gathered, the ego establishes a sense of who we are. When we go to sleep, it feels as if we stop existing because our senses shutdown to allow rest. We rely on these senses for pleasure, existence and we look for meanings in the external world through these senses. While the 5 senses are important for us to survive in this physical world, remembering that our true self’s existence is within us is the key to living a harmonious life between the physical and the metaphysics. Read more about the ego and how to know the true self in this article.
2. Take care of the body
We need the body to exist in this world and to be able to acquire the experiences we need to fulfill the soul’s purpose. The body is on autopilot and our responsibility is to maintain it. The body aids us in our spiritual growth and it is not a barrier. Incorporate these in the way you live:
Eating homegrown foods
Being conscious about what we eat, how we eat, when we eat
Exercising
Practicing yoga
Meditation
3. Connect with nature
The lifestyle and environment disconnect us from earth, the very source that keeps us grounded because it’s part of us. Everything is connected and nothing ever stops existing. The food we consume comes from the earth; the digested food becomes part of us; once we die we return to the earth that grows food. The water on the ground evaporates in the air, it becomes rain and the cycle keeps going. We are deeply connected to earth and being separated from nature is taking a toll on our mental and physical health. Make a difference by doing some of these activities everyday:
Gardening
Taking a walk in nature/hiking
Walking barefoot on grass or touch the soil with hands
Sit under a tree
4. Observe how the emotions feel in the body
Emotions always come with thoughts. Positive emotions come with happy thoughts and negative emotions come with nasty thoughts. What we don’t notice is that the body also feels the emotions. We only pay attention to the thoughts that come with emotions and not the bodily feelings. The thing is, the bodily feelings occur before thoughts arise. The gap could be only a split second but there is a gap. As we practice, the gap will prolong and eventually we will be alert enough to catch the thoughts that come with the emotion. When experiencing any kind of emotion, pause and try to feel the emotion in the body. How does happiness feel? You might notice a floating sensation in your head when you are happy. How does sadness feel? It might feel like a tightening sensation in the heart and face. When we create a space between the emotion and thoughts, we reduce the chance of the ego taking over control. The gap allows the true self to guide us through challenging situations.
Be grateful for the body
Navigating life between the physical word and the metaphysics is not a conflict but an opportunity that we need in order to grow. The body may seem like a boundary that’s restraining the soul from expanding. However, the real boundary is invisible. The real boundary is created by the ego and it’s known as fear, doubt, judgement and criticism. When we can see beyond the illusion of the world through ego’s lens, the body does not restrict us from experiencing every aspect of life. We become in sync with the Earth, the universe and the creator. We can sense every change in the atmosphere. It’s that Jedi power we all wish we could have and it’s right within us.
