With summer 2021 off to a good start, we at S/G are spending the month of June mulling over the conversation theme of #bodytalk and putting everything on the table. That’s right, we’re talking body odor, hair everywhere, periods, tummy troubles and everything in between. Because knowledge is power and we want you to feel fully empowered to make the best choices for your health, your body and your wellbeing!
But did you know that you have more than just *one* body? According to Jill Willard, a healer + author of Intuitive Being, each one of us has four bodies: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. So while it’s important to take care of our physical bodies through activities like mindful movement and a well rounded diet…it’s just as important to care for our spiritual bodies through positive affirmations + meditation — and our emotional and mental bodies too! How, you ask?
Let’s dive in…
Physical Body
This one is pretty self explanatory — think your skin + everything beneath! Organs, fascia, joints, etc. When needing care, the physical body will show signs of tightness, pain and elimination dysfunction (just to name a few). However, when our physical body is in a good place of homeostasis we will feel more open, resilient, balanced and generally free of discomfort.
How exactly can we bring our physical bodies into balance? For major bodily + health concerns, we always recommend chatting with your doctor, but for general maintenance and care we love incorporating mindful practices like:
- Gentle movement
- Grounding
- And our favorite — dry brushing + moisturizing!
Promoting lymphatic drainage and embodiment, we start at our feet and brush all the way up. Then shower to rinse off any exfoliated skin cells + follow up with ‘Black Spruce Body Oil’ for an aromatherapy treat to the senses via black spruce, rosewood and blue tansy. Your physical body will thank you!
Emotional Body
AKA the path between the physical and the mental bodies. Our emotional body includes everything from our nervous system, to our tears and our hormones! When unbalanced emotionally, we feel disconnected from others, irritable, jealous, stuck and even stiff. But when our emotional body is feeling supported and fluid, we can expect to feel more uplifting sensations like empathy, inclusivity and generosity -- all of which make not only us feel good, but everyone around us!
In order to bring this body into balance, we have to give ourselves permission to trulyfeel the full depth of our emotions and then cycle those stagnant feelings out. This can be achieved through journaling and talk therapy.
Another way to balance this body is by pursuing the things that make us feel GOOD. We're talking:
- Dance
- Rhythmic stretching
- Laughing with our BFFs
- Physical touch
- Sexual intimacy
Adaptogenic herbs can also be great allies for promoting healing + resiliency for our emotional body like those found in our holy grail supplement:‘Yin Power’ ! Formulated with a variety of adaptogenic herbs specifically for divine feminine energy and emotional (+ hormonal) imbalances. Just put a teaspoon in your morning coffee and take a moment to check in with yourself each day.
Mental Body
To our thoughts, attitudes and clarity…we’re lookin’ at you. When misaligned in our mental body we can feel brain fog, lack of creativity, and overall just down in the dumps. But never fear! Balance can always be brought back in. With an aligned mental state we can expect to feel more productive, ease of action, strong intuition and clear communication. Think of this body as having strong solar or masculine energy and very good at doing. Here are some ways to exercise + align mentally:
- Cardio workouts
- Time in the sun (with proper SPF of course!)
- Listen to podcasts/read for inspiration
- Kundalini Yoga
Or for more added support, try incorporating a tincture like the ‘Electra Tincture’. Your herbal help for getting energized, one dropper-full of this plant-powered formula helps restore clarity and lightness. It's a great addition to your morning routine or to your desk for a mid-day refocus moment.
Spiritual Body
Encompassing our connection to the world at large + the divine universe. We can become disconnected to this meta-physical body by not taking time for ritual, quiet and greater symbiosis. This disconnect can manifest as loneliness, loss of intuition, inaction and isolation. But when our spiritual body is centered + connected, we feel calm, unafraid, limitless and oh-so full of love. To keep our spiritual connection strong, we love incorporating:
- Meditation
- Community volunteer work
- Gratitude journaling
- Breath work
- Affirmations
We also love reaching for Dr. Deepika Chopra's‘Things Are Looking Up Optimism Deck’ . The 52-card stack is meant to feel like a friend…so you can just pull one out whenever you feel like you need a boost!Bonus: use them as a conversation starter at your next get-together to facilitate deeper connections!
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After the year we’ve had, we could all use a little bit more balance and connection both to our four bodies and to each other. Join us in conversation and community in our San Diego shops + over on IG where we’ll be chatting all things #bodytalk, all month long!
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