Needs of the Elemental Bodies

It seems fairly obvious to most of us that we have needs and it seems fairly obvious to most of us what those needs are. However, when asked many people cannot really describe the parts of their consciousness, nor describe what some parts need. For instance many people don’t know what their soul needs, nor what their heart needs. Perhaps this will inspire some ideas and shed some light on the subject of consciousness…

Spirit:

The Spirit part of our nature is that which is Divine…that which relates to everything in a communal way. (By this, I mean that consciousness is believed by some cultures to be a collective of individuals that taken as a whole is imbued with the cumulative wisdom of all the beings in the collective…which would include you. This insinuates that your wisdom is part of the collective consciousness, but also that you have access to this collective wisdom) The Spirit part of our nature, needs communion with the Divine as well as internal recognition of the Divine within. That Divine within is magnetic. It draws people to it with it’s beauty and grace if it’s encouraged to shine freely. To get the Divine within to shine freely, you must give it attention and opportunity. Some ways you can meet these needs are prayer, ceremony and meditation. Also volunteerism, giving time and energy to others anonymously, tantra, ecstatic dance…any activity that fully engages the soul in us while focusing on others also.

The Spirit needs to…

* Experience one’s own sacredness and magnetism (magnetism is the aspect of ourselves that is charismatic, compelling and blessed)

* Impact the world and others positively

* Ecstatic connection/merging with the Universe/Divine

Soul:

The soul in us is something eternal and full of grace. It is innately Spirit…but it is also individual and unique. It is You; a personality, but not an ego. Think about that for a bit as I finish the rest of this remark. The soul needs connection, purpose and success, so identifying, carrying out and achieving personal goals is one primary way of meeting this need. This focus is not about shallow things. It is about soulful purpose; the things that matter a hundred years from now, the things that matter next year to you. Those sorts of purposes are not only individual but also have an element which serves the greater good. And by the way, an ego, is a complex of attitudes, perceptions and concepts about self, others, life and the way things should be. A personality is simpler; it is the characteristics that make you unique and these characteristics are without guile or the need to impress. Some activities of the soul are meditation, prayer, taking on a charitable project, gardening, being kind without thought of return.

The Soul needs…

* To experience fulfilled purpose

* Personal evolution

* Reverence

* Sharing of inspiration

* Harmony

* Cooperation

* Ecstatic connection to the Collective Consciousness, the Divine, and the Land

Heart:

The heart is certainly the axis upon which life swings for many people…it is, after all, really the connective element in every person’s life. Our capacity to love is the very foundation of our humanity. It is the thing that connects our more transient nature, our thoughts and body, to our immortal nature, our soul and spirit. Love joins and tempers all. Most people think soul mates are romantic interests. That is true, but they are also, enemies, friends, employers, children, siblings and parents. They are just people in our lives who have an ability to effect us more profoundly than others. Soulful, heart-full connections with these kindred spirits teach us, temper us, push us to grow and challenge us to love more unconditionally than any other relationships. We need these precious people, because these folks source the person we can be if we cut away all the ego from our nature. Some activities of the heart is friendship, making and meeting creative goals, finding something beautiful in self and giving it expression, offering unconditional love, volunteerism.

The Heart needs…

* An exchange of love

* Nurturing of self and others

* Creative outlets/Creative success

* Sexual/Spiritual passion

* Growth of beauty and talent

* Ecstatic and loving connection to another and to the Divine

Mind:

Our intellect functions on numerous levels, allowing us to perceive, consider, process and communicate in many ways at once. For instance we can have subconscious deliberation going on about a significant life change, engage in a conversation with a friend, supervise a child and still be washing the dishes, all at once. Engaging the mind in positive contemplation, teaching it to filter reality with a viewpoint that nurtures the positive in your life and engaging in creative visualization is necessary for many reasons. The most important reason is that what we give emotion and attention to the most is what we manifest; therefore, mastery of what we think about will create for us the life we most want. The activities of positive thought are learning, conversation, visualization, dedication to a purpose and meditation. Therefore, you might take classes to learn new things, engage others in loving, joyful topics of conversation discover and fulfill your soul purpose and find methods of meditation that engage your mind in peaceful ways.

The Mind needs…

* Self esteem experienced as rich self satisfaction and love

* Stimulation of ideas and learning

* Humor

* Freedom from fear, doubt and worry

* Conviction of belief

* Calming connection of subtle energy of the Mind to Divine Consciousness and the understanding of others

Body:

The physical body isn’t much of a mystery to most of us in that we all pretty much know what it needs to be healthy. Most of us don’t do much of what we need physically though. So consider this a reminder for better self care. Your body is, after all, the temple of your soul. It needs you to attend to it lovingly and generously. Don’t make your body do without these things because you “don’t have time.” Obviously some healthful activities would be walking, yoga, hiking, biking and dance. However, there is a magnetism and a consciousness that exists in a primitive way with the physical body. Most of us only notice this when a limb looses blood supply and so feels asleep, or when the nervous system is damaged and we loose feeling and motor function. There is a sense of absence when this occurs that is visceral to your self, but also to others.

The Body needs…

* Freedom of movement

* Comfort, hugs and cuddling

* Sexual release/sexual passion/sexual love

* Experience of physical vitality

* Sensory stimulation and pleasure

* A sense of safety and security

* Nutrition, hydration, rest and shelter

* Subtle connection with the subtle energy of the land

There is one more basic need that each being has and that is the need for periodic loss, failure, challenge and purification. We all need things that force us to figure out new solutions, to test the tools we’ve learned and affirm that they and we are stronger than we realized. We also need to be forced to learn and to stand in the fires of loss and failure. These diffulties build character and add strength to us. And it is also a basic need that we let go of those things which no longer serve us to make room for something else that better suits the current time, developmental stage and needs. Blessings!

©Shannee Green,1/2007, all rights reserved