Balance for Wholesome Living

Balancing Our 4 “Bodies”

Introduction.

Our 4 “bodies”, the spiritual*, mental, emotional and physical, operate as one interpenetrating and co-operative system. These bodies differ in vibration level, and most people can only see the physical. If you can see more, please contact us. We have a few interesting assignments for you! ; ) (Just kidding! The author does not recommend striving to become psychic. See The balance between seeking spiritual powers and getting them when you’re ready. on the Spiritual Balance page.)

* A note on terminology: According to many spiritual teachings, our Spirit is separate from our 4 “lower bodies”. The fourth lower one is sometimes called the etheric, spiritual, memory or fire body. So as not to get over-philosophical, it will simply be referred to as the spiritual body on this site.

What affects one body effects the others, and being aware of how this happens will help a great deal in achieving a wholesome balance. This is covered in the section The flow of energy and health through our 4 “bodies” below. This explains why the root causes of physical health problems are not things like viruses but the misuse of our spiritual, mental and emotional energies (negative karma). On the physical level, viruses and germs are still not the real cause, but the lack of proper nutrition and exercise that enables our bodies to be immune to them. (See the Physical Exercise and Wholesome Diet pages for more details.) Viruses and germs are in and around us all the time, even in healthy people.

So how do we best care for this complex and intricate holistic system (body) in which we live? It obviously requires more than a quick crash-course. You are probably already doing many things to help. The fact that you are reading this page means that you are taking steps in being responsible for your own health and not always waiting for something to go wrong and then expecting your doctor to “fix” you. This is not to say that you should not see a doctor when you are not well. They provide a vital and merciful service most of the time, and trying to do completely without them can be a fatal mistake.

That being said, much of “modern” Western medicine does not take a holistic approach to health but concentrates on symptomatic relief. For more on this subject, see The balance between orthodox and holistic healing below.

A subject that helps a great deal in understanding the balance of our 4 “bodies” as a system is macrobiotics. (See the Macrobiotics page.) It deals largely with diet, but is actually a whole way of living a balanced life in harmony with our surroundings. It emphasises getting to the root cause of problems, plus it also provides ample natural remedies to help symptoms.

Here are some subjects that will help you balance your 4 “bodies”.

The flow of energy and health through our 4 “bodies”.

What affects one body effects the others. This is due to the existence of the human aura, which is widely accepted today even in many circles in the West. Kirlian photography has helped greatly in this process, indicating the changing state of the subtle energy field around us as we change our thoughts and feelings. Some even claim it can be used to identify disease in these bodies before it manifests in the physical.

If so, it is because the energy of which our bodies are made cycles from the spiritual to the mental, to the emotional and eventually into the physical. Whatever “dis-ease” we allow to become a habit in our thoughts and feelings will eventually manifest as some form of disease or disorder in our physical health. If we choose anger, hatred, fear etc., that pure energy that flows into our auras continually from our Real Self is negatively qualified and out of harmony with God, which lowers our vibration level. It causes blockages in the flow of energy around our energy field or aura, and slows down the rate of spin of our chakras. These are energy centres that distribute energy to our four lower bodies.

The result is a stagnation of flow of energy within us, which causes things like mental density and emotional problems. It also blocks the flow along the energy meridians that take vital life force (or “chi” or “prana”) to our organs and cells, eventually causing sickness and disease. Even if you do not believe in the aura, there is abundant evidence from research by people like Dr. Bernard Jensen that hatred and other negative thoughts and feelings actually create acids and toxins that burden the physical body. There is also the subject called “imperil” (1), which involves the poisons and toxins in the body caused by fear, anxiety and irritability. Studies also show that having a positive attitude helps your immune system.(2)

Likewise, if we abuse our physical body by poor diet and exercise, it becomes much easier to give in to old patterns of undesirable thoughts and feelings. (See also “The balance between what we put into our mouth and what comes out” on the General Balance page.) So it is important to realise that our 4 “bodies” operate as a complex and intricate holistic system as a vehicle for our soul’s experience, and we need to treat them as such. It is very difficult for most people to see their body as merely a vehicle for their soul/Spirit, as a house in which they live or as clothes they wear, but separate from who they really are. (It would be nice if we could trade them in now and then like a car!)

  1. For more on “Imperil”, ask about the tape album “Imperil – A Commanding Danger” from The summit Lighthouse(www.summitlighthouse.org).
  2. According to a report in the July 2003 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, a team from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, found people who had a positive emotional attitude were not infected as often and experienced fewer symptoms than people with a negative emotional style. The researchers interviewed 334 healthy volunteers three evenings a week for two weeks to assess their emotional states. After their assessment, each volunteer got a squirt in the nose of a rhinovirus – the germ that causes colds. The researchers kept the subjects under observation for five days to see whether or not they became infected and how they manifested symptoms. Tests showed that positive people were no less likely to be infected with the virus. However, infection seemed to produce fewer signs and symptoms of illness. Lead researcher Dr Sheldon Cohen said: “We found that experiencing positive emotions was associated with greater resistance to developing a common cold.”

The balance between orthodox and holistic healing.

Much of “modern” Western medicine does not take a holistic approach to health but concentrates on symptomatic relief. This is encouraged by billions of dollars of research and other funds from the pharmaceutical giants, who have formed an international cartel called “Codex Alimentarius” with the aim to discourage any health information about natural or holistic therapies. However, to maintain a wholesome balance, we need to be continually vigilant and not throw out the baby with the bath water. Much of modern medicine is very valid, backed by extensive research, and saved millions of lives. But it’s strength still lies more in fixing broken bodies after accidents and symptomatic treatment (often with adverse side-effects) than in prevention.

Some have gone as far as blaming Western allopathic medicine for millions of unnecessary deaths, or calling it ‘The Medical Mafia’ (a book by Dr. Guylaine Lanctot, M.D.). Some details on Western allopathic medicine can be seen at Citizens for Health (at www.citizens.org). And see www.DrugWatch.com for drug side effects etc. But we can best stay in balance by not condemning and pointing fingers but by working compassionately for constructive change.

We stay in balance best by looking at both sides of every story, and then going inwards and tuning in to how any of it applies to us personally. So it is best to do your own research, and don’t just accept everything you read. There are lots of new medical studies that are reported on TV every year that are becoming increasingly questionable. Did you know that chocolate is actually good for you? I can just hear all you chocolate junkies out there saying: “Wow, this must surely be the day of deliverance! Hallelujah! But are you sure about this study?” Well, according to other studies, coffee, booze and smoking are also good for you! In an article published in the Vancouver Sun newspaper on October 17, 2000 entitled “Why medical studies can be bad for your health”, Patricia Bailey writes: “Before you change your behaviour, remember that the latest headline extolling the virtues of hops or chocolate is based on a single study, cautions Michael Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit North American consumer health organisation that keeps an eye out for dubious scientific research and sloppy media coverage.” Many studies are based on surveys and not on rigorous clinical trials, so the outcome depends on the questions asked in the survey. Several interesting examples are given in the article that prove the point.

Orthodox and holistic methods all have their values and roles to play, and rejecting one side totally would be an act of our ego, not of our heart. Besides, it is difficult to single out one truly holistic method. None are perfect, but they all can be instruments of healing. It is always easier to point the finger at shortcomings than to take joint responsibility for our plight and work on changing it. We start by changing our own world and health, and as we get going, we expand our focus to help others. Holistic healing is covered more specifically in the next section.

Details on Holistic Healing

The key to holistic healing is that all healing comes from God (or Spirit or universal energy etc. (1)). Our bodies were ingeniously designed and created to heal themselves. Our biggest challenge is getting the blocks out of the way that hinder this process. As mentioned in the section “The flow of Energy …” above, all disease starts from the spiritual plane. When we experience physical healing, it is the end result of spiritual energy filling its intended matrix in the physical. Our spiritual “dis-ease” and unhealthy thoughts and emotions are the root cause of disease in the physical. The Bible and other sacred Scriptures are full of examples of illness resulting from sin or karma. Even “modern” medicine is catching up with this ancient idea. A John Hopkins Hospital survey found that three out of four illnesses had psychosomatic causes. The Ascended Masters have also spoken eloquently on this theme (2). So holistic healing must take all of our 4 “bodies” into account. Any orthodox or alternative doctor or healer is never the true healer. They are just the instrument that is facilitating God’s healing occurring in our bodies. If they have not helped us to get to the cause of the problem, the symptom will either come back or manifest in a different form, and they are therefore not a good healer. This is more applicable in serious diseases and in spontaneous or “miracle” healings than in minor ailments.

Opportunity knocks.

Sickness and disease is sometimes more of a blessing than a curse. It manifests for a reason and gives us a necessary message, mainly that something within us is out of harmony with nature (including our Divine nature). And going through the healing process is a good way of learning lessons and experiencing personal growth. Many great authors and inspirational speakers credit a major illness or health crisis as the catalyst that turned their life around for the better. It also teaches us patience, humility and compassion for others who are sick. It prompts us to regain our inner and outer harmony and balance, which is the main requirement for healing. If you really desire long term wholeness and balance in your life, these lessons are more valuable than quick symptomatic relief. This obviously does not mean that you should go out and look for sickness. Hopefully we can learn these lessons without getting sick. But when sick, this attitude towards life helps us see the big picture and helps us find the pearl that is hidden in every challenge in life. (Attitude is key! For more, see the Attitude page.)

On a more spiritual note, sickness is one way that negative karma (reaping the sins we have sown) returns to us. Most people balance a lot of karma through illness. Suffering is not God’s Will, and he didn’t create it. We did. It is our reaction to pain and circumstance. If we have a healthy attitude towards Life, the suffering we experience will be far less than it appears to those who watch us in sympathy. This whole subject of karma and spirituality sheds new light on the controversial subject of “mercy killing”. According to several authors on near death experiences, they weren’t even in their physical body during the most painful periods. For example, Dannion Brinkley, author of Saved by the Light, says that he was floating near the ceiling, looking down on his body that had just been struck by lightning. His fascinating book tells of his meeting with spiritual beings (ascended masters) during his out of the body experience (OBE).

Turning our attention outward.

Dannion came back with a great sense of mission and turned his life around. He has actually survived 3 near death experiences, and is what some would call a walking healing miracle. He is now doing wonderful work in the line of hospice. (See Compassion In Action at www.lightstreamers.com/cia-1.htm). But his main testimony is not his physical healing, but the transformation of his life from what he describes as formerly being shameful and cruel. This was likely the main cause of all the pain and suffering he has gone through after the lighting strikes. He has experienced true soul transformation and become more of his Real Self, which is wise and powerful love in physical action. This is true holistic healing. He once said: “The quickest way to change the world is to be of service to others.” Many people have turned their health around by turning their attention away from themselves, counting the blessings they already have, and getting involved in helping others. Studies show that helping others boosts a personÂ’s immune system and self-esteem (3).

These many facets of healing are more important than which method of healing to pursue. God can work through anyone who proves to be a worthy instrument and who is well aligned with their Real Self and the Holy Spirit. However, as it is not always easy to know who is, or to find such a person when you need them, the method you choose can make a big difference. Prayer and meditation is therefore important before choosing a healing method and practitioner.

The Steps to Healing.

There are many methods that more or less treat the body as a holistic whole. But few practitioners will include all of the necessary steps. So it is up to you to start the process going on the right foot. Plus, your health is your responsibility, no one elseÂ’s. (Physician, heal thyself!) Here are a few guidelines to help you along. Start off on your own with Step 1, unless of course you have a critical or acute condition. I that case, go and see a doctor immediately. COMMON SENSE IS ALWAYS THE NUMBER ONE RULE!

Step 1. Getting to the Cause.

As disease and healing begins from our spiritual or etheric body, it is good to start there. First of all, you need to be willing to deal with and change whatever is within your psyche and world (thoughts, attitudes, feelings etc.) that has caused your condition. Most people miss this first step, and you can too. But if you want long term health and to really feel good about yourself and grow into more of who you really are, then this is the most enjoyable and rewarding step. And in the long term, the easiest, because by cosmic law and justice, what is ours will come to us. If we avoid learning the lesson now, it will come to us eventually with more intense energy via the hard knocks of life, also known as returning karma or “stuff” or ….(I’m sure you can add your own interesting adjectives!). This step requires seeing ourselves objectively, which can be tricky, as our karma tends to blind us to it. But if you are sincere in wanting to know and you ask and you listen openly, you will find out. It can also help tremendously to do some psychology counselling for this, which may include astrology. Our psychology can really sabotage our well-being. In some extreme cases, some people don’t heal because subconsciously they desire the attention that their illness gets them more than they desire to be normal and healthy. You can also ask a good friend or spouse for objective feedback (not advice!).

Ultimately, it is dis-ease in our spiritual world, being out of harmony with our Real Self or Spirit, that is the cause of all our problems, and this is what needs to change for healing to take place. Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science (or Science of Mind) movement, had a profound understanding of this. She taught that all sickness is a creation of our mortal mind, and that all healing comes from the divine Mind (Spirit) (4). She was much of the inspiration behind todayÂ’s mind-over-matter and metaphysical movement. The problem is that many of them forget the all-important adjunct that Jesus gave after he healed people: “Go and sin no more.” The message was that sin caused the disease, and needs to be rectified. But much of the metaphysical movement concentrates on riding problems and disease by pure mind power, and many are successful in this. It is possible to get rid of symptoms in this way, and cheaper than buying prescription drugs. But when that is your main motive, instead of changing your greed, pride or anger or whatever caused the problem in the first place, then it boils down to denial and suppression. It will just manifest in another symptom later.

The same goes for faith healing. Faith healing does not necessarily rid the cause of the problem. It heals the symptom and gives the person the temporary grace and mercy so that they may change their life and follow in the footsteps of Jesus (be more of their Real Self) and to go and sin no more. Jesus never said that they would never get sick again. He did say “and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (the law of karma). If you find faith healing difficult to believe, a good book for the more scientifically minded is Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot. When you get to the section on the placebo effect (around pg 90) it will give you a whole new perspective on how faith healing can work. But we still need to get to the original cause of the dis-ease, which is usually spiritual, mental and emotional, before we can experience balance and wholeness.

The most holistic and fulfilling way to true healing and wholeness is to transcend our lower self by changing and transmuting our past errors to become our Real Self. And this is the main purpose of this Balance for Wholesome Living website.

Step 2. Setting the Goal.

The basic idea is to draw down the matrix or blueprint of perfect health for the affected area, which already exists in our Real Self. This sets the goal for the rearrangement of energy into the desired healthy condition. It is best done through meditation (in “alpha” brainwave level) and prayer, holding the image of the perfected end result as a visualization, also known as the science of the immaculate concept. This is covered in the section Visualizing Victory on the Intellectual Balance page. You can use pictures from biology books of what the detail of the healthy cells or organ should look like. This is augmented with the use of thoughtforms, which are energy patterns that aid in the healing process which we add to our visualizations. For some good ideas on this, go to the Healing section on the Teachings page of The Summit Lighthouse website at www.summitlighthouse.org. This includes prayers for invoking the intercession of God and his angels to help attain the goal. This can be applied to the following steps as well. There are many other resources that cover visualization and mind power for healing.

Step 3. Clearing the blocks.

Once the goal or matrix is set, the energy channels or meridians that flow to the affected area need to be cleared. This is already happening if you have been working on Step 1, but it can sometimes be a slow process. If you are not already working with a health practitioner by now, then this is a good time to start. You do not have to stick to one healing method only, especially if it is not well know and well proven. But your choices should be made with the help of a qualified practitioner, preferably one with considerable medical training and experience and who is open to holistic healing. Together you can decide which method/s to pursue. If you need some ideas on finding a professional, go to How to Choose a Holistic Practitioner from the American Holistic Medical Association or Referrals to Integrative Health Professionals.

There are dozens of natural healing methods.Natural healing methods also include diet and detoxification, which is covered on the Wholesome Diet page on this site. Diet was a priority in healing in ancient China. As discussed on the Brown Rice Fast page on this site: “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic asserts that food is an important means for treating disease. It says that in `medieval days’ the sages treated illness first by diet, usually prescribing a regime of rice gruel for ten days. If this treatment was not successful, then the roots and leaves of medicinal plants were used to harmonize the energies. Acupuncture and moxibustion were employed only as a last resort.” Another good resource for healing and alternative medicine is Journey through Cancer: A Guide to Integrating Complementary and Spiritual Healing with Conventional Treatment by Dr. Neroli Duffy.

The Violet Flame.

The Violet Flame is a powerful tool for clearing blocks in all 4 of our “bodies”. It has been referred to by many, including Edgar Cayce, Dannion Brinkley, Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Godfre Ray King. It is a high-frequency spiritual fire, an action of the Holy Spirit which you can invoke into your aura to transmute (change and purify) all discord and impurities in your physical body, mind and soul. It therefore helps to transmute negative karma and the cause of disease. This may sound too good to be true, especially as itÂ’s free! But it is worth trying out. It can be used in all 3 steps above, and there are many testimonies available from those who have used it.

For a start, see this website dedicated to the violet flame: The Violet Flame. There is also a good pocket book called Violet Flame to Heal Body, Mind & Soul by Elizabeth Clare Prophet (Summit University Press – Pocket Guide to Practical Spirituality series).
See also Simone’s Violet Flame Videos for some great hands-on videos.

One aspect of the cause of personal problems and energy blocks is discarnate entities, a subject that makes most people run a mile. Entities are like very minor versions of possessing demons or foul spirits, and apparently we all have lots of them! (You can skip this section if you prefer!) The good news is that they only have a limited and temporary influence on us. This is because they are not the true cause. Our spiritual problems and beliefs create the vacuums that get filled by entities. Like attracts like. The low vibration of our consciousness attracts low vibration spirits instead of angels. But there are some effective methods of riding them, besides changing our consciousness. This subject is also covered under “The Subject of Evil” on the “Spiritual Balance 2” page. Concerning healing, Dr. Shakuntala Modi documents many problems and healings related to entities in her book Remarkable Healings (5) . Elizabeth Clare Prophet also teaches on this subject, and offers some powerful prayers and techniques to deal with the problem. (Visit summitlighthouse.org.)

Step 4. Nurturing the new matrix.

Once you have cleared the blocks, the healing process needs to be supported and nurtured. This depends somewhat on what the main cause of the health problem was, but should cover all 4 “bodies”. This includes things like a wholesome diet, inner-child work and play, replacing old patterns (even through doing adult education workshops), and spiritual healing and renewal work. The key is personal growth to support the new healthy matrix and to get out of the rut that caused the problem. They say the only real difference between a rut and a grave is the depth! This last step can be very exciting and rewarding, and there is lots of material and references on this site to help you on your way. Bon voyage!

References for this “Details on Holistic Healing” section.

  1. For a note on terminology, see the top of the Spiritual Balance page. Back to (1).
  2. The Ascended Master El Morya: “And I tell you, beloved, there are still many among you who do those things that you know you should not do. And you do not do them ignorantly but you do them knowingly, simply because you will not say die to the resentment, to the hostility, to this and that shadowed form that lurks in your body temple, that lurks in the garments of your etheric, mental or astral sheath. Where do you think the cancers come from? Where do you think the diseases come from? You throw off all disease when you internalize the Light. Nothing can harm you. But I tell you, beloved, when you internalize resentment, when you internalize that ragged, jagged energy that ties up and blocks the flow of Light within you, then you are certainly a candidate for diseases that may very well take you out of embodiment.” (Reprinted with permission, from a dictation by El Morya through Elizabeth Clare Prophet published in Pearls of Wisdom Vol. 37 No. 40 pg. 473 Copyright © 1994, Summit University Press. All rights reserved. Website: www.summitlighthouse.org) Back to (2).
  3. A 30-year study of more than 400 North American women conducted by Cornell University found that those who volunteered lived longer, with the majority experiencing better overall health. Studies done at the University of Michigan involving 1,200 senior citizens established that people live longer because they volunteer.
    Back to (3).
  4. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (W.M.B.E.) by Mary Baker Eddy (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston.) Back to (4).
  5. Remarkable Healings: A Psychiatrist Discovers Unsuspected Roots of Mental and Physical Illness by Shakuntala Modi, M.D. (Hampton Roads, 1997). Back to (5).
  6. Journey through Cancer: A Guide to Integrating Complementary and Spiritual Healing with Conventional Treatment by Dr. Neroli Duffy

Your Dominant Body.

Most people have one of their 4 bodies dominant. If you’re a bit of an academic, you’re more dominant in your mental body. If you’re very social, then your emotional body. If very athletic, then your physical. The goal of spiritual wholeness is to balance all 4 “bodies”. Unfortunately modern society is not that well geared towards this. Our schools are geared mainly towards academic (left-brain) and physical performance. But we actually have 7 “learning modalities”. (For more on this, see the Intellectual Balance page.) So people who have more artistic, creative, social, spiritual or inter-personal strengths tend to be ignored. And yet these are the people who have brought the world some of life’s greatest gifts. Holistic education is what is greatly needed. This is also covered on the Intellectual Balance page. Balancing our 4 “bodies” is essential for our health and spiritual growth. And according to the Ascended Masters, balancing our “4 lower bodies” and threefold flame are requirements for the ascension, which is the goal of life.

So do yourself a favour and try something different for a change. Take time out to play. Explore! Be adventurous! Your soul (or inner child) probably can’t wait.

Cosmic Clock – Karma and Your 4 “Bodies”

Cosmic law works in cycles. As mentioned above, energy cycles from the spiritual to the mental, emotional and then the physical plane, The same happens in our 4 “bodies”. A unique way of looking at this process is the Cosmic Clock as described in the book The Great White Brotherhood by Elizabeth Clare Prophet (Summit University Press). It is also explained in detail in her book Predict Your Future: Understand The Cycles Of The Cosmic Clock. If you picture a clock face, starting from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock is the first quadrant, which represents the etheric or spiritual body. The next quadrant is the mental, then the emotional and finally our physical body from 9 o’clock back to 12 o’clock. Each of the 12 hour-lines around the clock relates to certain energies and character traits, and can help us balance our 4 “bodies”. It is also the sequence in which our karma returns to us on a yearly and monthly cycle, so it can help us be prepared for some of the tests that might come our way.

abaez

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