You are one entity with three aspects. Each has its needs. Each part of you has to honour, respect, and work in harmony with the other parts in order for all to reach their needs. Each part has basic
You are one entity with three aspects. Each has its
needs. Each part of you has to honour, respect,
and work in harmony with the other parts in order
for all to reach their needs. Each part has basic
needs, intermediate needs, and ultimate needs.
Body's Needs
Basic
food, water, clothing, shelter
Second level
to be healthy,
to feel well,
to feel good,
to feel pampered,
to be touched
Ultimate goal
to be immortal
Mind's Needs
Basic
control, safety, security
Second Level
to be loved,
to be connected,
to feel part of
Ultimate Goal
self-actualization
Spirit's Needs
Basic
to be known,
recognized,
accepted as existing
Second Level
to heal,
to become whole,
to be at peace,
to know itself,
to find wisdom
Ultimate Goal
heaven, nirvana,
ending the cycle,
coming home
We talk about living in peace and harmony with
others, but very little is said about living in
harmony with ourselves.
Most people emphasize one aspect over the others,
usually mind. We talk of people so caught up in
the material world, in making money, acquiring
things, paying off the mortgage, that they have
lost their soul.
Some are primarily concerned about their body,
either making it look good or making it healthy. Of
them we say they are trying to live forever or be
young forever.
Some are spiritually oriented to the point where
they denigrate their body, become ascetics, learn
to overcome physical discomfort, and even self-
flagellate. Or more commonly denigrate mind,
attributing to it negatives such as selfish, fearful,
shameful, controlling, guilt-ridden. They may
attack body and mind as distractions, illusions.
This is not harmony.
Harmony is each aspect recognizing, respecting,
and taking care of the others; honouring body,
mind, and spirit. Harmony is body, mind, and
spirit living and working together in intra-
dependence.
Your body is not just a vessel for your mind and
spirit. That’s disrespectful. Your body has a life of
its own, is beautiful, even a miracle, provides
pleasure.
Respect your mind. Quit the name-calling. Stop
putting ego down or seeing it as something to be
controlled, even an enemy to your spiritual self.
Mind has its role and can be seen as positive.
Rather than controlling, me-driven, and selfish, we
could just as easily say mind wants to take care of,
protect, help; qualities we normally call selfless.
Mind lets us live in this world, sees that we are fed,
safe. It partakes in the beauty around us, can see
wonder, learn, soar. Pigeon-holing mind as
negative is not harmony.
Pay attention to your spiritual needs. Don’t wait
until you face death. Getting caught up in the
demands of daily living is not harmony.
Each has its needs, from the most basic to the
ultimate. Each has its role. If it doesn’t play its role
or its needs are not met, then there is disharmony.
Living in disharmony is no fun.
If your trinity is in disharmony is it possible
for any one aspect to meet its needs?
Can mind achieve self-actualization or even love,
connectedness, and feeling part of, if it ignores
body and spirit? Can spirit achieve peace and
wisdom by denigrating body and mind? Can body
achieve health, wellness, and feeling good, when
mind and spirit are not involved?
Hearing
Each aspect has its own way of communicating.
Body feels. Body feels well or ill or tired or
vigourous. Body communicates by feeling.
Mind talks. And talks and talks and talks. We call it
our inner voice. Mind also has an outer voice which
we use to communicate with other people.
Spirit knows. You have this sense of knowing.
That’s why you need to get quiet to pick up spirit’s
communications; because it doesn’t have a voice
that talks. Spirit just knows.
Harmony
When body, mind, and spirit are living in harmony,
our lives, our energy will be in flow. Flow means
everything works, everything comes easy.
Body is in a state of health and well-being.
Mind is calmly and efficiently operating in the
material world.
Spirit is centered and connected.
This is harmony.
©Alice Steinbart 2003
