THE DOER
assessment area: physical
This area of the Core Instincts Quiz refers to your experience of the material world including your physical body as well as the physical world around you.
Below is an excerpt from my first book, ONE...Embracing Life & Illuminating Your Spirit! (2010), which speaks to the essence of this assessment area....
THE BODY TEMPLE
We are dual beings; body and soul, physical and nonphysical, matter and energy, cognition and consciousness. Your body is the vehicle within which your spirit or soul experiences this life. Without your body, you would not exist here on this earth. Your body is indeed your temple!
You are what you eat… think… feel… believe… experience… intend… imagine …live and so on. Your body is the medium for the intersection of matter and energy, thereby creating your experience as a human/spiritual being. Your body is energy manifested as physical matter.Our ultimate goal is to experience this life from a consistently balanced and integrated spiritual and physical perspective - all of your bodily expressions and functions are a means to this end.
So, as a mechanism with its own intelligence, how do your body’s functions coincide with all other living things? Well, not unlike Mother earth, your body has seasons and cycles. Eternal rebirth…this is what the seasons represent – the persistent flow and metamorphosis of the seasons of life. Your body also has seasons – from daily to monthly to yearly. Research shows that our bodies completely regenerate every seven years. Amazing, huh? And, awe inspiring, as this means that you, as an individual, have unlimited opportunities to manifest or extinguish specific biological abilities, anomalies, issues, injuries, faculties, diseases and so on every seven years. As with nature’s seasons, there exists an interconnectedness in the dynamic, unified continuity of the universe. The experience of being both a human and spiritual being weaves a divine thread through the transience of life.
So often in this culture, we view our bodies as something to be changed or ashamed of. As we look back throughout this century, “Historians will marvel at the heresy we fell into, the recent decades in which we disregarded the spirit in our efforts to cure the body.”1 The vulnerability, the shyness, and the fear of simply being, feeds into our need to change our external experience and appearance. Perhaps we are hoping this will also change or improve our internal experience, the way we feel inside. I encourage you to explore your relationship with your body. Once acceptance and honor of your body as a sacred temple is achieved you will experience waves of serenity, peace, joy and self love. Remember, you are perfection just as you are in this very moment and your body is the temple in which your perfect soul resides.
Through the seasons of my own life, discovery of my own innermost dimensions has been remarkable and illuminating. Yet, during the early stages of this process I was frustrated. My ability to attain a deep, satisfying perception of my body was difficult to achieve. I had for many years struggled with my own inability, or perhaps unwillingness, to master the art of self-bodily-acceptance. I found myself feeling helpless as I observed others basking in their own self-admiration, acceptance, and beauty. While it took time and persistence, I finally emerged on the other side with an entirely new perspective of my body and my beingness. As a result, the image I held for so long of my body as imperfect shifted to one of acceptance and appreciation. Regardless of my weight, complexion or other imperfections I am at peace with my appearance, irregardless of social standards, trends or expectations. This does not mean that I do not continually attempt to improve my standard of health and wellness, it simply means I no longer beat myself up or harshly judge myself for my weight, size or appearance. Now, I think of my body more as a prized vehicle for this journey. I am conscious of caring for it in a healthy and balanced way. I have let go of the negative images I held replacing them with images of gratitude and compassion for my physical being.
The possibilities for your body, no matter the shape, size or condition, as a medium for personal and evolutional growth are limitless. With grace, create a space within your heart in which all areas of your body may be gently and profoundly embraced. Observe, as a sense of fulfillment, wholeness, and of re-establishing your sense of belonging emerges. In discovering physical health, wellness and balance you will find your authentic Self.