Who Am I? Is there a desire within you to know? Are you on a journey of self-discovery?

First of all, I want to say you’re amazing! And CONGRATULATIONS! It is not an easy path to travel and you’re taking the first steps.

I know I don’t have all the answers but am excited to share with you the idea of the 4 Aspects of Self. Maybe these musings will help you dive a little deeper into your own discovery.

Let’s start with a question. When you think about yourself, what is the first thing that comes to mind? What do you identify with?

Ok now that we’ve established what comes to your mind? Let’s break it down;  is it a physical aspect, emotional aspect, intellectual aspect or spiritual?

There’s no right or wrong answer! It’s more about bringing awareness to what we identify with in this 3-D reality.

The 4 Aspects of Self

Learning or remembering that we are more than just the physical body is the first step into a deeper exploration.

I can tell you on my journey learning this idea of the 4 aspects of self was mind-blowing. I never thought of myself as more than physical. Sounds pretty silly now that I say it out loud but it is the truth.

Often in these crazy busy times, you will care for your physical and intellectual self first and push aside the emotional stuff because really who wants to deal with that shit and the spiritual side can sometimes feel way too overwhelming

So back to my first question whatever came to mind for you perhaps is your predominant state and that is the one that is fostered the most. Do you ignore the others?

I believe the work in life is to find a way to bring integration to all four aspects of who we are because it creates the feeling of being whole.

For me, restorative yoga is a way to foster and nurture all parts of who I am. I rest my physical body, I release my emotional body, I nurture my spiritual body and calm my intellectual body. Nourishing, honouring and supporting all part of who I am.

Physical Body

Our physical self is your body. Your body is amazing and provides you with the ability to survive and thrive in this 3-D reality. When you connect and develop on a physical level you’re learning skills that take care of your physical body. You’re learning about nutrition, how to enjoy your body and create skills to navigate this world effectively. This is what self-care is and it’s vital.

Honour and nurture your physical body by eating healthy, sleep, drink water and create space between the TV and the screens, the phones. Remember  you’re not meant to be in a sedentary lifestyle. Nurturing the physical body is getting up moving around. Get back to the earth. Take your shoes off and walk on the grass. If you haven’t done this since you were a child try  it and feel the sensation of grounding this is a whole other topic but it is a way to nurture heal and soothe your physical body

Emotional Body

Your emotional body, your heart is where you love and care for yourself and others. It’s the place where you build relationships. The emotional body is where you experience life deeply where you relate to others on an emotional level. It is where you seek connection with others. It allows you to feel the full range of your emotional experiences.

When you nurture your emotional self you will find fulfilment in your relationships. It is not only about nurturing relationships with others but also with self. This also includes how you speak to yourself, the self-doubt you may carry. It is about creating space for you to be loving and compassionate to yourself as well as others.

Over the last year in this pandemic, this emotional body probably has experienced quite a rocky road. Finding that deeper connection with others has been challenging and yet it is important that you nurture it and remember to love yourself as much as you love others.

Intellectual Body

The mind!!! How much do I love my mind?

This is our space where you have the ability to reason and be logical. This level of existence is your thoughts, your attitudes, It’s where your beliefs and values reside.

Your intellectual body is one of your greatest gifts and yet also one of the greatest curses. It can give you profound understanding and also fill you with terrible confusion.

The mind can also be domineering and can overtake your emotions with your thoughts and it’s a place where you need to be vigilant and conscious of what is transpiring.

You want to allow the mind to be able to become calm and for thoughts to be clear. The intellectual body is where you want to be able to discern challenges intelligently and lead a life with an open mind.

The mind gathers information and knowledge and wisdom and it carries it through your journey of life every day. It takes in your experiences from the world around you and allows you to make decisions based on your experiences. You must nurture your beautiful mind.

Spiritual Body

This is your SOUL. This is the essence of who you are.

This is the place within you that resides beyond all space and time.

This is your place of connection to the Divine, to Universal Source and to reminding you that you are all a part of the oneness of life.

I love this quote from Eckhart Tolle:

You are not IN the Universe, you ARE the Universe – an intrinsic part of it. 

Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle. 

Developing this awareness on a spiritual level allows you to feel that sense of belonging to something greater than yourself. It reminds you that you’re not alone.  You can nurture spirit with the practice of gratitude, mindfulness and meditation or prayer.

Finding ways to love all four aspects of who you are is vitally important for you to move through life in an integrated way and leaves you feeling whole and connected.

I would love to hear how are you nurture each part of yourself or where are you find you find yourself spending more time.

So I know there are no answers. And the reason for that is the answers are within you, my friend. My intention today was to explore a little deeper the 4 aspects of self and hopefully create a sense of curiosity as you navigate your journey.

Looking to dive deeper into nurturing self?

I would love to have you join me for a Restorative Yoga Class to see if you find it nurtures all parts of who you are. Find information about classes here: ONLINE CLASSES.  The first online class is FREE.