Here are some ways I personally express what LOVE is:

• LOVE is the flow of energy and information through empathic or compassionate connection to self and/or other.
• LOVE is consciousness becoming aware of itself.
• LOVE is the Divine’s unconditional acceptance of our choices.

I would like to focus on the last expression of LOVE, the Divine’s unconditional acceptance of our choices.

The Divine will always say YES. No matter what choice she faces, the answer is always YES. Even our “no” is a YES from the Divine. And so our spiritual growth can be initiated through our choices as an awakening through the body, and an acceptance that we are energetic beings made up of planet Earth.

We evolve our connection to the Divine through our soul’s expression of the body, and awaken to higher possibilities if we are true to who we are and honor our being.

Consider the image of the Tree of Life, which depicts a tree with roots reaching far down into the Earth and a huge canopy reaching up toward the sky. The canopy is only ever as large as the root system… and is that not true for all trees in nature?

Trees in natural forests have large root systems that intermingle. These root systems form a network of communication much vaster and dynamic than we can imagine. Each tree can provide information and protection for their neighbors. They warn of potential predators and offer direction for food sources through this network.

Is that not LOVE, a YES to supporting ourselves and each other and enhancing the Whole?

How can we LOVE if we are not connected to the truth of our own being and are not honoring ourselves? Afterall, how can anyone LOVE another anymore than they LOVE themselves?

And yet here we are, often unable to even communicate what LOVE is!

Our evolution toward the oneness of LOVE is often strained by materialism, which distracts us from our truth and from all that is really at the heart of LOVE.

We live at a time of uncertainty, division, and blame. Our stress load is often exacerbated by the choices we make, whether through cultural programming, manipulation, menticide, habit, or societal pressure.

Hopefully we are aware that any form of stress can lead to health-related problems and that cumulative stress will likely block our spiritual growth. Generally, I believe the more stress a person is coping with, the more diminished their root system and their connection to the Earth becomes. The more diminished their root system, the more diminished their capacity for extending their branches into higher awareness.

To enhance our capacity for a larger and more reaching canopy, I believe we need to maintain a deep and expansive root system through awareness of the body and being cognizant of our choices.

The human brain can be described as three interconnected parts: Reptilian, Limbic and Neocortex.

Each of these parts has a purpose:

• The reptilian part regulates our autonomic nervous system, and is the survival section of the brain. It is responsible for fulfilling immediate and momentary needs and regulates the fight/flight mechanism. It is also referred to as the old brain or the reptilian brain.
• The limbic part of the brain generates our feelings and emotions. It has increased capacity for memory and learning and an increased sense of power and authority. It is also referred to as the mammalian brain, since it first emerged in mammals.
• The neocortex part of the brain evolved for higher rational thinking. It generates ideas, language, and logical thinking, and allows for spiritual development. It is also referred to as the new brain or the human brain.

When a person is coping with undue amounts of stress, their reptilian brain will dominate due to its intimate connection with the autonomic nervous system. Some characteristics of the reptilian brain are dominance, aggression, rigidity, obsessiveness, fear, and greed. It is the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system that initiates the fight/flight response.

Consider how a reptile like a lizard behaves. If you observe one, you will notice how it constantly looks around in an almost fearful, anxious manner. It sprints from place to place, always on the lookout for danger. It is forever tuned in to the possibility of activating the fight/flight response.

If we do not take care of our health, if we do not allow our roots to anchor us deeply into the Earth, we can become unduly stressed and function more from our reptilian brain, which provides a limited capacity for higher awareness and awakening through the body.

There are six foundational principles of health to consider and embrace if we are to honor our truth of wellbeing. They comprise a balanced structure of three Yin principles and three Yang principles:

Yin

• Sleeping
• Nutrition
• Hydration

Yang

• Thinking
• Breathing
• Moving

Sleeping – Sufficient sleep affords us mental clarity, vibrancy, and motivation for creating our day. It helps prevent our cravings for unhealthy ‘pick-me-up’ drugs, including sugar and caffeine.
Thinking – Positive and harmonious thinking about our goals helps prevent the wasted energy of worry and anxiety.
Breathing – When our breathing mechanics are functioning optimally, we have improved vitality, and our physical systems and organs are rewarded with life force.
Nutrition – Appropriate nutrition for our individual needs is paramount for providing energy and the ongoing rebuilding of our physical structure.
Hydration – Sufficient intake of clean, healthy water provides our trillions of cells with the necessary hydration for optimal function.
Moving – Regular movement in appropriate ways for our individual structural needs protects our joints and muscles from deterioration.

To truly embrace LOVE we must awaken through the body by recognizing why we are here.

I believe we are here to appreciate and utilize all that the natural world provides so that we can sustain ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We are here as energetic systems provided with the opportunity of choice, so that we can grow our roots deeply into the Earth through health and vitality. This lets us find comfort and safety within ourselves, and allows for our surrender so we can better trust our soul to guide us in reaching our canopy toward the Divine.

I believe that if we honor our health through dedication to the six foundational principles above, we become more responsible for and aware of the evolution of the whole through an enhanced harmony of our being.

I know this firsthand from my own personal journey to health. In my younger years I was not healthy. I drank too much alcohol, I slept little, and I ate processed foods. I did not acknowledge my nutritional needs, and followed the latest dogma of the food and drug conglomerates. I was unhappy and stressed. I walked around wearing metaphorical blinders, unable to see or experience the beauty of my being. I was caught in a downward spiral of deterioration.

My awareness was opened by honoring the foundational principles of health and taking responsibility for my choices. Prior to getting healthy, I was unable to experience any form of peace or tranquility. I was unable to consider the possibility of a higher force by my side. But all of that changed because I chose to say YES to LOVE instead. My life has changed drastically since becoming healthy. I now see, hear, and know things that others generally cannot, a kind of telepathy in my broader awareness. I have a sense of support from my higher self that I did not recognize when I was busy trying to survive.

My awakening to this higher sense of self, my soul, holds me in comfort as she continuously guides me toward a more fulfilling life experience. In turn I have a newfound energetic desire to help as many people as possible move toward this possibility. In essence, we are all here to LOVE ourselves first and foremost so that we can understand what LOVE means, and express that LOVE in communion with others.

Health and vitality is a three-dimensional opportunity of choice for awakening through the body, a big and bold YES to our potential in this realm.