A fundamental part of Naturopathy is stimulating the vital force – which is our innate capacity to heal. Our vitality or how ‘vital’ we are is a measure of our vital force. We can stimulate the vital force in many ways – by plugging into nature, grounding, fresh air, sunlight, movement, hydrotherapy, proper hydration, herbal medicine etc. But one of the most significant ways to stimulate the vital force is by tuning into the higher aspects of ourselves and tapping into our intended learning and potential in this lifetime.
A holistic approach to health understands and appreciates the interconnectedness of our four body system – the physical, emotional, mental and soul body. Most people are only familiar with the first three. So what about the soul?
The soul is the part of us that feels timeless. It’s the part of us that seeks growth and new experiences. The part of us that wants to be challenged and confronted because it sees it as an opportunity to grow and evolve.
A large proportion of society actively avoids discomfort, and instead actively seeks comfort in a multitude of ways. The problem with this is that there is no growth in comfort. Our comfort zone is just a collection of experiences and things that we’ve already experienced. There is only so much we can learn and grow from repeating the same choices.
We arrive at a point where old habits, patterns, and behaviours are no longer serving us. We need to let go of the old and embrace the NEW. New choices and experiences can feel scary because they’re not something within our familiar little comfort zone. This fear is what keeps us in our comfort zone. But we can choose to feel the fear, and do it anyway.
This is what the soul wants, for us to evolve, and to choose the new! When we come into this life, the soul carries all our intended learning and potential. The lower three bodies (physical, emotional and mental) are designed to set us up for this learning and potential. When we don’t use our four body system for what it has been designed to do is when disharmony and disease can occur. Avoiding this soul level yearning for growth and evolution can also create a great sense of discontent, dissatisfaction, and even depression.
A great deal of healing can occur just by slowing down and allowing ourselves to tune in and listen to our heart’s yearning from the soul-level. This is where our unique ‘puzzle piece’ and purpose can be found. Only from within.
