HONORING THE BODY

Ken Wilber has written that we are so out of touch with our bodies that meditation teachers often begin with mindfulness of the body as a way to help the new practitioner reconnect with her/his self. It is, after all, our physical form that allows us to experience the world in which we live. Through our five sense organs—ears, eyes, tongue, nose, and skin—we are able to navigate our way through the physical universe and enjoy the ever-shifting display of energy expressing itself in multitudinous forms. It has been said that it is the body that carries us (our sense of self) so gracefully through our lives—the holy chalice without which we could not exist. It is interesting to consider that we take our bodies for granted, suffering the illusion that the “I” is ever-changeless, that we confuse immortality of the soul or the sense of the permanence of the self with our bodies, a physical structure prone to sickness, old age, and death. Some of us use our bodies as repositories of the foulest substances because it is through these substances that the brain, part of the body, is lulled into a somnambulant opiate-like experience of happiness and release. And there are those who neglect their bodies through lack of exercise, improper diet, or ignore the body when it signals that it may need the care of a physician. Finally, there are those who treat their bodies with the utmost respect, honoring it for the wondrous vehicle that it is.

Let us briefly examine these three modes of existence and see where they may lead.

Although alcohol and drugs create a sense of release and happiness, a higher sense of consciousness, ultimately we are lead astray by the dreams they create—a sense of emotional well being that is more ephemeral than a wisp of smoke. Such products ultimately destroy the body, the vehicle necessary for emotional and spiritual transformation.

Similarly, when we do not take care of our bodies through lack of use, ill use or over consumption, we weaken the vehicle, draining it of the energy needed for the hard work of evolving into a higher self.
In either case, mindfulness is extremely difficult because of the fog of inebriation or the lack of energy inherent in a weakened body.

It is through mindfulness of the body, the sensory system manifested for viewing the wondrous display of the universe, that we discover truth, beauty and goodness.
By honoring the body, through moderation or renunciation, through impeccable diet and exercise, we increase the energy for the work that needs to be done, as well as refining the body system so that we can better experience the gift of the physical universe that flows around us and through us, ultimately offering us the window to the sublime.

Additionally, reconnecting with our bodies is very important in that it can be our best teacher when contemplating impermanence, the irrefutable truth that nothing ever stays the same. Can you remember the body ten years ago? Is it the same body? Is your sense of suffering or pleasure the same then as now? Is your relationship to your body the same then as it is now? Do you understand your body; do you know its needs? Through our realization of impermanence, we come to a greater appreciation of the wonder of life and all of its dynamic systems, including the human body—your body.

Love it for what it is.

Without the body, you are as ephemeral as a wisp of smoke.