Shining our Own Light – Body and Soul

The process of Geula is unfolding in front of our eyes.  When it is complete, something amazing will occur.  Instead of the soul giving life to the body, the body will give life to the soul.  Instead of receiving light from above, from the spiritual realms, we will be shining our own light from below.

Years ago, in other generations, people were focused on survival.  They didn’t need to bother themselves with forced exercise routines or investigating the latest health food fad. Sure, their bodies may have been stronger because the food was purer and basic existence required manual labor, but this was a way of life.  Nowadays, there is tremendous focus on the body, not for existence sake, but for maintenance, longevity, vanity and feel-goodness.

But looking at this body- focus through Geula eyes, we can see where this trend is leading.  Jewish sources teach that Hashem (G-d) desires to dwell openly in this physical world.  When we look at a tree now, we see a tree – bark, branches, leaves etc. but as the Geula unfolds, we will be privy to witnessing the divine life force of the tree – the actual spiritual energy that enlivens the physical thing that we call a tree.

Same with our bodies.  We are in the process of refining our bodies to the point that our bodies will reflect the G-dly force that is enlivening it.  What does it mean to refine our bodies?  When we give charity and do acts of kindness, we are using our bodies in service of others.   Our arms, fingers, legs, blood, ligaments, muscles etc. are elevated in spiritual service – one that looks and feels physical, but is divine in nature.

People are also starting to recognize the wisdom that exists within the body for healing.   In many instances, we do not need medicines or something external to free ourselves of aches, ailments and even some dis-eases. Dr Sarno is one doctor who is world famous in emphasizing that the ability to be free of pain lies in processing our emotions within our body.  Mind -Body Coach Abigail Steidley expands on Dr. Sarno’s work and details healing through many self-coaching tools – again emphasizing that the power to heal comes from within our own physical form – not depending on external means.  Dr. Berceli, with his Trauma Release Exercises, shows people how to heal the body of many of the traumatic horrors of war and other violations of the spirit.  Again, the only tool used is the body itself.

In this era of Geula, the world is refined enough that the spiritual is peeking through the physical.  We are seeing the amazing divine wisdom and power that exists within our bodies to heal ourselves physically as well as spiritually.  People are recognizing that we don’t neglect our bodies to discover the spiritual, that we don’t run away to the mountains and meditate to reach the highest heights.  Instead, we do meditate, but then we bring heaven down to earth by speaking what we learn and occupying ourselves in service to others. We walk labyrinths or do proprioceptive writing and then share our glimpses into the unseen realms with others so that we all can acknowledge the spiritual light within each of us.  We are revealing the inner sanctity of the physical, nurturing others with compassion and encouraging people to uncover their inner spark of divinity.

In this era of Geula, we are learning to shine our own light – each one of us an illuminating star on this physical planet.