Have you ever felt that your health is nagging you without any specific reason?
You feel sudden aches, pains and headaches?
Do you need to pop a pill to get through your day sometimes?
Do you feel a lack of motivation, or feeling lethargic, out of focus, off mood?
Do you experience feelings of fear and insecurity?
Or do you feel a certain way, but you can’t put a finger on why it is so and why you are not feeling your usual self?
You are not alone.
Most people feel the above or have similar experiences that tell them all is not well in their life. And to have these feelings fill your days can be very unsettling in many ways. All these indicate disharmony of some kind between our 4 bodies. So what are our 4 bodies?
The concept of the “four bodies” is a belief found in many cultures and spiritual practices, which states that a person has four interconnected bodies: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is believed that these bodies are interconnected and that the health and well-being of one can affect the others.
One way that the four bodies are interconnected is through the mind-body connection. The way that we think and feel can have a direct impact on our physical health. For example, stress and negative emotions can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and digestive problems.
In terms of how one body can transform all other bodies, it is believed that by working on one body, we can positively impact the other bodies. For example, by nourishing and taking care of the physical body through exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep, we can also improve our mental and emotional well-being. Similarly, by working on mental and emotional well-being through therapy, mindfulness, or other practices, we can also improve our physical health.
On the other hand, neglecting one body can lead to negative effects on the other bodies. For example, neglecting the physical body through poor diet, lack of exercise, and poor sleep can lead to negative effects on mental and emotional well-being. Similarly, neglecting mental and emotional well-being through excessive stress, negative thinking, and avoiding self-care can lead to negative effects on the physical body.
We experience all of life through our 5 senses, our thoughts, our emotions and our connection with this universe. Also referred to as our 4 bodies – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. If we learn to connect with them individually and become aware of how they feel, we can begin to create some subtle shifts in our beingness, heal past wounds and see our overall health improve.
Our physical body is the keeper of the other 3 bodies and is the home to our soul. Things that you see as joy in your life, nourish you from within and the things that you see as pain in your life create pain in your body. – Sidra Jafri
The physical body is the most tangible and can be located through the five senses and your skin, bone and muscles – this is the body we know and the one we relate to much easily.
The emotional body can be experienced through our feelings and emotions.
The mental body can be experienced through our thoughts and beliefs.
The spiritual body can be experienced through our sense of connection to the universe, or the divine, and to life in general.
Like the physical body, the other 3 bodies also require our attention and care.
How do you nourish each of your 4 bodies?
You nourish them by giving them the right kind of food and nutrition. Let’s understand what kind of food these bodies really thrive on. And what kind of intake makes them feel ill.
Physical – This body thrives on nutritious food, good sleep, ample exercise to feel light, strong and fit. What makes it feel uncomfortable are junk food, lack of movement, not enough sleep, aches, pains and disease.
Emotional – This body gets its nutrition in the form of happy memories, touch, hugs, talking and listening to loved ones, intimacy and helping others. When undernourished you experience feelings of depression, sadness, isolation, difficulty in managing emotions, self esteem issues and difficulty in connecting with others.
Mental – This body feels nourished when you engage in genuine conversations, share your thoughts, reading or consuming uplifting content, writing. Things that make this body dull are negative news, gossip, non serving thoughts of any kind, confusion, distraction, difficulty in making decisions, concentration issues, overthinking, exhaustion and fatigue. What you think, you become. Also, you can become whatever you think. So essentially what you think about, you bring about.
Spiritual – This body thrives on prayer, meditation, connecting with nature, observing your breath, spending time in solitude, reflection. What makes this body feel dull is a lack of connection to the self and the world around, being judgemental, feeling like no one has your back.
When all four bodies are in harmony, a sense of overall well-being and balance can be achieved. If they are not in harmony, it can lead to feelings of disharmony and dis-ease in one or more areas of life.
You can bring nourishment to your 4 bodies through this guided meditation, that will help you first cleanse each body of whatever it no longer requires and then sow the seeds of good health in all your 4 bodies. We invite you to make this a part of your morning routine for atleast 21 days, so you can experience the beauty of this process unfolding into your being, at a deep level.
