The Human Body

The human body, quite obviously, is such a central part of human life and the human experience. The obvious part of this statement is that we need the body to be alive, and we must care for it to keep it alive by eating, breathing, sleeping, etc. But we seldom stop to think about the body in deeper ways. The body is much more than a basic, physical substance. What gives the body life and purpose is the soul, the consciousness. The body is a vehicle and is something that is lived and experienced every day, in every moment, by our soul/consciousness. Through the body, we learn how to relate to one another—it is how we communicate and how we interact with the world around us. We express thoughts, emotions, and experiences through the body. We learn and discover truth, joy, and beauty with and through the body. We learn how to love each other through the body. Our bodies are also our emotional storehouse; all of our emotions, inner feelings and inner thoughts are taken on by the body and manifest in the physical body.

It is quite interesting to look at and understand varying perspectives and attitudes toward the human body. Many people across cultures place emphasis on the physical appearance of the human body. Some admire it for its beauty in all of its forms, shapes, sizes, colors; others have a more specific idea of physical beauty. There are some people who view the human body in a utilitarian fashion and do not focus on appearance. Furthermore, some even reject the body and the experience of body, noting its limitations.

While honoring all views of the human body, it seems that many people have placed too much emphasis on the physical, and we have forgotten what lies beneath the skin and what our value is on a deeper level. Our view of the body is on way in which we have forgotten the meaning of life beyond the physical and have illusions of what brings happiness and fulfillment. In many ways we mistakenly think that our value lies in our physical bodies and appearance. We abuse our bodies in various ways, and other’s bodies, physically and psychologically. We have created ideas, prejudices, and walls of separation based on the body (color, size, shape).

Our human nature presents us with the challenge of understanding the deeper meaning beyond the physical and tangible. Much of life is about understanding the role and meaning of the human body and the physical…about the journey in the body, how it is of use, how we can abuse the body, how the body leads us into illusion. But also life is about the beauty of the body, how we can explore beauty and love with the body, how we can come closer to one another and to God through the body.

How do we treat our bodies? In a physical sense, what do we feed our bodies? How do we take care of our bodies? In a more psychological/emotional sense, how do we view our bodies? What do we tell ourselves about our bodies? What emotions are we not dealing with that our bodies have taken on? How might we abuse our bodies? Further, how do we abuse other people’s bodies? How do we objectify others and ourselves, not seeing the value and worth of a human being beyond the physical?

A good test is to remember the last time you felt physically well, motivated, energized, and joyful. What kinds of thoughts were going on in your mind? What did you feed and put into your body? Then remember the last time you felt physically ill, unmotivated, or had lack of energy. What kinds of thoughts were going on in your mind then? What did you feed or put into your body? Remember, when we don't feel well-physically or emotionally-it is difficult to treat others with love and care.

Everyday we are being called to embody love, which means not only feeling love from within and expressing it outwardly, but also actively treating our bodies with love and care. We need to feed our bodies food that fuels us, gives us energy, and helps us live healthy lives and work toward our purpose. We need to exercise and care for the body. We need to view our bodies, right now, as beautiful, perfect, and whole. We need to tell our bodies and ourselves how much we appreciate what they do for us everyday. Remember, our bodies take on and embody our thoughts. We need to remember that we are so much more than our physical body! This means seeing and emphasizing our value and worth beneath the surface.

Let us embrace the body in all of its splendor and limitations. Let us accept that the body grows and changes all of the time. Let us live and express love through our bodies so that we can make this world a better place. Let us not be burdened by the body, but let us treat our bodies well so that we can flourish and live truly fulfilling lives.