We no longer cherish our bodies. As a friend once told me “To be human is a privilege.” This flesh given to me is my responsibility as within it lies knowledge and information passed down to me by hundreds of thousands of generations of my ancestors. I must care for it as it is me. A part of me at least, as the physical is not the only aspect of the self. So, in order to achieve a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle, all aspects of the whole must be cared for in the correct manner.

Right now, I am specifically targeting the physical manifestation of the self. We do not eat healthy. Most of us, including myself until recently, would put any kind of food substance into our bodies without a second thought as to how it would effect our organic machinery. We don’t exercise regularly, either because we don’t have time or don’t make time or don’t care. I see no difference besides time between the heroin addict, the alcoholic, and the person who is overweight and continues the bad habits that has led him or her to such a state. Obesity is not a disease, it is a lifestyle choice. Whether or not the person has an addiction to the effect on the brain by eating large amounts of food is another issue. Some of you may disagree with me, that’s fine.

We must remember that our bodies still belong to the animal kingdom and as is such we are animals, regardless of Reason. That means there is a balance in all things, including our bodies. When things get out of balance is when things become dangerous. If we are to look at the human body in a figurative manner as representative of humanity as a whole, we may begin to see what ails us as a people, the human people. The next step is to look at the other aspects of the self in such a way.

The self is holy. The soul is our connection to the Infinite One. The communal aspect is our connection to each other, biologically and spiritually. The body is the Temple the contains it all on the altar of humanity for this brief moment in time.