We are multidimensional beings (Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual) experiencing life through a physical structure we call The Body. Depending on where you are at on your journey will dictate the nature of the lessons and life experiences that will be coming up for you.

That’s why one person’s fitness journey is not and cannot be the same as anybody else’s. We are all at different stages in the time line. Trying to force somebody to operate at a level of consciousness that they are not ready or able for is an unkindness. Trying to resist the next stage of conscious development simply prolongs your suffering.

So where are you at on your fitness journey? Today’s blog explores the different stages of evolution in consciousness through the vehicle of the body using the chakra system as a guide.

The chakra system is part of Ayurvedic medicine. 7 principle energy centres have been identified in the human body. At first these centres were visible only to mystics and yogis. They are now being studied in western science by people like Dr Valerie Hunt PhD.

Stage 1: The Root Chakra Person

This is the most basic level of development. The person awakens out of a very deep unconsciousness about their bodies and they start to notice they have a body. They start to notice it’s out of shape and it makes them feel uneasy. They will start at the very beginning rung of the consciousness ladder. The mantra at this stage is “eat less, move more”. At this stage calorie equations are king and diet clubs reign supreme. Systems like weight watchers, slimming world and the like will be very attractive to a person operating here. The root chakra governs tribal associations so people at this level feel safer in a group setting. In fact they don’t feel they can be accountable on their own. If a person is exercising at this stage they won’t get more elaborate than going for a walk or a run. Something which requires minimal skill that they can do on their own without any instruction. Otherwise they will go for the safety in numbers approach with the tribal comfort of group exercise. Deep down they know that one to one training would accelerate their growth beyond what they would find comfortable. Growth and change is rarely comfortable people so get used to this fact.

Stage 2: The Solar Plexus Chakra

A person may arrive at stage 2 after reaching a state of frustration with phase 1. They either keep regaining any weight they had lost or they don’t have any success at all. They realise eat less; move more is a gross oversimplification for a vehicle as profoundly complex as the human body. At this stage the person will take an interest in the science of nutrition or they will hire a coach to guide them in nutrition and maybe even personal training. They know their daily walks are not making them progress or they have gotten fatter or injured from running or group exercise.

They are ready for a more scientific approach to their training. At this stage with new awareness the person may transform their physique and their confidence soars. I call chakra 3 the chakra of self-confidence.

At the extreme end of the solar plexus chakra you will find the physique competitor or coach who believes that discipline and goal setting are everything. Their body and the condition it is in are intimately connected with how they feel about themselves. Their self-confidence hangs on their body fat percentage and how good they look in maximum skin exposing selfies. They want the world to know how disciplined they are and what mental mastery they have. NLP and goal setting are typical tools in their tool box. They unwittingly believe the mind is the answer to EVERYTHING!

Typically this person also has very dogmatic views about eating. They categorise themselves as paleo or vegan or alkaline foodists and they will defend their choice with great zeal and scientific literature to beat the band. Their world is filled with Judgement about themselves and others (those waster couch potato peeps who don’t exercise and eat chips!!). They will never be fully satisfied with their physiques or performance. Solar Plexus people always look for the next goal as all of their validation comes from an external point, be it the reflection in the mirror or a trophy or record. Their views on food are totally polarised. Deep down all that discipline is a mask for what’s really going on…………..

Stage 3: The Sacral Chakra

Well what’s really going on is the soul’s journey. Whether you like it or not, whether you are in denial of it or not that’s what’s goin down here on this earthly plane.

The sacral chakra level of development is a much higher vibrational experience than the other 2 and it’s usually a VERY PAINFUL process. People arrive here from many different routes. There are many examples. One that comes to mind is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, Flex Wheeler. He had it all, the discipline, the phenomenal physique and the accolades. He fell apart when he realised the drugs (steroids) he was taking were about to kill him. This, my dear friends is the dark night of the soul and as we know the darkest hour comes before the dawn. Flex survived and transformed his life to awaken to his true authentic self.

Another classic example of this is the physique contests so popular in the USA especially. Here women go to the pinnacle of discipline and self-depravation all the while denying their real physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Its betrayal hard core style. Betrayal of yourself in search of an external validation of your worth. The women who are “lucky” have a massive post contest rebound, gain a ton of weight and go into a complete unravelling of their soul’s journey. The women who are not so lucky go on to repeat the process many times over. Never quite feeling good enough.

At a highly evolved stage of the sacral chakra a person has transcended the back log catalogue of their emotional baggage; they eat and exercise intuitively with a backdrop of science to illuminate their intuitive choices. Much like an artist that starts off learning to paint very technically before developing their own unique style. The body artist is non dogmatic in their approach. They can have a slice of cake even if it’s not cheat day and still feel good about themselves. They know that running themselves into the ground with their training is not a measure of strength but a measure of disconnection from Self. The body artist does not judge the obese or those who appear to “lack discipline” for she or he has been through the dark night of the soul and knows the pain of devastation that the human condition brings. When you have been through hells fire yourself, judgement of another human being becomes impossible. Hells fire burns the fat from the soul and that’s the only fat burning that brings lasting happiness.

Where are you on your journey? Are you stuck in dogma and excessive discipline? Are you hiding in the egos favourite playground at chakra 3 feeling all swanky and superior? Or are you struggling at chakra 2 with bulimia or body dysmorphia unaware that you are making massive progress on your soul’s journey home to self-love? Where ever you are on your journey honour yourself at that stage and don’t compare yourself to anybody else. Sometimes, in the bigger scheme of things, the obese person with a food addiction is further down the road than the ripped and peeled cover model.