Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Healing

Over the past few years I’ve been able to lose about 50 pounds, putting my body into a far healthier state in that time. When I got married, I was between 225 and 230 pounds. Now, I’m hovering around 180 and pushing towards my ultimate goal of 165.

I walk much lighter on my feet now at 180 than I did when I was 230. No pun intended. I’m not embarrassed by the size of my pants anymore, either. In fact, the benefits of the weight loss extend far beyond the simple. The benefits cascaded across multiple areas of my life.

For one, it lightened my spirit. I wasn’t clinically depressed, but I knew the complete feeling of dread whenever I looked into a mirror. I also felt completely out of place standing next to a gorgeous wife. Though I know most of it was in my head, I could constantly hear people wondering “How did HE end up with HER?” Since dropping the weight, I’ve been able to shed most of those demons, although at times I still have to battle the “I’m fat” mentality that ruled my life for many years.

The weight loss also helped clear my mind. I think better, in part - I believe - to a better diet. I’m no longer bogging down my body with harmful sodas or loads of sugars. Overall, my physical health has made me sharper and more aware. The addition of exercise and healthier eating has also helped me to sleep better. My wife appreciates that too, since I’m no longer sawing logs in bed.

I wonder if it would surprise people that one of the key areas impacted by my weight loss has been my spiritual life? It’s true - and it’s a benefit I did not expect. But, when you really think about it, the spirit is directly affected by the physical, emotional and the mental. Anyone who tries to decry that we are “spiritual” beings is flat out wrong. We are certainly very spiritual, but we also have to contend with emotions and the physical and mental as well. To discount these struggles is to ignore the reality of being human.

If you are depressed, or lack self-esteem, how can you possibly be spiritually healthy? If we believe we are made in God’s image, but hate our own self-image, what does it say about our view of God? There’s no simple work-around here.

Or, if you are physically tired, how can you commit yourself to a strong relationship with someone when it’s a struggle just to get out of bed?

Or, if you are mentally drained because your body is starving for nutrition, how can you challenge the mind and ask the questions that draw one closer to the Creator?

The truth is this: if we want to help people heal themselves spiritually, we can’t continue ignoring the physical. Being fat or obese not only robs you of good physical health, it also robs you of even better spiritual health.

This entry was posted on September 19, 2007 at 8:47 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.