By: Ronan Rooney
We are all made up of many layers - the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Each of the layers needs to be given as much respect and attention as the others. Traditionally, we have given more attention to the physical aspect, reflecting on our physicality and the physical world. Our mental layer developed aggressively over the decades and we began to question, intellectually reflect and try to understand ourselves and this world. The emotional part of us has not been given as much consideration. We have frustrated its development or evolution by continually suppressing certain emotions. And we have not really given much thought to our spiritual self, with many of us never taking time for inner reflection.
To be fully healthy means to be in perfect balance in every layer of the person. When we are unhealthy in any area of ourselves, the part that needs attention ‘cries out’ in the form of a message. When our physical body is out of balance and in need of attention the message is easily recognized. When we let ourselves get run down, for instance, parts of our physical body stop functioning properly i.e. a physical message. When our mental layer needs attention the brain gives us a mental message most commonly recognised as a feeling or state many refer to as stress. So stress is just a message that the brain needs attention – usually a rest. The emotional body also gives us messages when it needs attention - emotional messages. When we feel an emotion coming on the natural and healthy thing to do is to fully experience it. But many of us suppress certain emotions like sadness or anger because we are scared to fully feel it. Some of us don’t even allow ourselves to experience more appealing emotions like happiness or pride. We judge ourselves not worthy or feel guilty or are simply too busy to stop for the experience.
Emotions not experienced fully are suppressed and, because emotions are energy, the energy lodges somewhere deep in the body. Then at some stage we get a message from our emotional self that it needs attention. So emotional breakdown can be a message from the emotional body that it needs all of the suppressed emotions to be fully experienced. Moving to the Spiritual body - we all have moments when we reflect on the greater reality of life. It can occur when we witness a sunset and see it in all its majesty and glory or when we spontaneously sense a very real connection to something much larger - a vastness. It can happen when we take a few moments to reflect within ourselves or in the presence of a moment of pure love, like when a baby is born or when your child smiles and tells you “I love you”.
What is it that all of these experiences have in common? They all refer to moments when we are connected to our Source, however you personally define this Source. So these experiences are messages from our spiritual selves to pay attention to our spirituality within us and within everything around us. As you move through the levels from the physical to the spiritual the messages become more difficult to recognise. This is because we are more focused in the physical spectrum and our ability to sense the messages weakens as we move along the spectrum into the other layers.
So what does all of this mean? It means simply that we should listen to and be guided by ourselves. If you feel physically drained or tired, physically rest. If you feel mentally challenged or stressed, relax your mind. If you are presented with an emotion, experience it fully. If you experience a moment of connection to something greater, accept and experience it without having to physically sense it, mentally understand it or emotionally feel it. Just allow it to present itself in whatever form and don’t try to judge or label or define the experience. Living is all about experiencing life fully in every moment, in every situation at every level. Life is to be enjoyed and loved.
