The are basic aspects of life that any being must observe throughout the course of existing on earth. Sleep is necessary for repair and recovery of the body and mind. Eating provides physiological support by supplying nutrients that are needed for rebuilding the body. Sex is the method by with population levels are maintained and sustained. Fear, is the sense of needing to survive, the need to avoid situations that could present a barrier to overall well-being. Then there is the capacity to realize and bring forth, from within, the Personal Higher Essence, that which is part of ‘the All’.
Eating, sleeping, sex, and survival are the very basics that facilitate life on earth. Meeting these requirements is something to which every living being is bound. Existing in the mundane realm demands little more than the basics. To go beyond these ‘basic requirements’ implies that one will (want to) align themselves with that ‘something’ within which will elucidate and elevate the spirit. Humans give evidence of reaching toward, believing in, a ‘higher spiritual level’. Personally, I would not limit that capacity solely to humans.
Sleep is needed for bodily repair and recovery. The act of living and functioning during the day places physiological and mental demands on an individual. Sleep promotes growth hormone production. These are necessary for tissue repair and contribute to muscle growth. It plays significantly in stress management and bolstering mental function. During sleep, the heart and vascular system are able to rest due to the slowing of heart rate, and decreasing of blood pressure. Sleep is the occasion for the recharge and reset of mind and body.
Food is necessary for replacing what is regularly lost or used by the body. Vitamins, nutrients and various compounds that come from eating are utilized for repair of the body. Eating healthfully helps to mitigate the occurrence of Type 2 Diabetes. Reduce the risk of heart disease by adhering to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy; this diet benefits the heart by maintaining lower blood pressure and reducing cholesterol levels. A calcium rich diet keeps your teeth and bones strong and can help to slow age related bone loss (osteoporosis).
Sex is an act that occurs throughout the world. Mood is positively enhanced, sexually, through endorphin production. Depression and anxiety are decreased which is a positive for mental health. Sex facilitates improved heart health by lowering blood pressure and, being a physical activity, can help in burning calories. Of course, sleep is more restful and replenishing after a good session of sex. In a committed relationship, intimacy becomes enhanced and bonding is strengthened through sex. The biological purpose of sex is for reproduction.
Fear is healthy. Fear can be an emotion of inspiration. To live in the world is to need access to certain things. Light has been shed on the need for food: the body cannot function without adequate nutrition. Sleep provides physical benefits but mental fortitude is negatively impacted when it is lacking. Sex is sex: there is a primal drive that many find hard to override when it comes to sex. Being deprived of any one of these can be stressful for many people. This stress, translated as fear, can be as impactful physically as it can be mentally. Thus, to avoid fear, one can be motivated to keep these things accessible and on hand (as best as they are able).
To go beyond the ‘forgoing requirements’ means that one will (want to) align themselves with that ‘something within’ which will elevate the spirit. Coming into awareness of a personal inner essence can be frightening as this may involve suspending some longstanding beliefs. This suspending could cause one to re-evaluate those beliefs and either bring about the strengthening or relinquishing of those beliefs. A liberation is arrived at in either instance. One sees things more accurately within the prescription of beliefs long held or more clearly outside of any affiliation.
The fundamental needs are prioritized in the lives of all beings. There are things that one must do to survive. Sleep is a huge necessity and cannot too long be avoided. Although many feel the need to push themselves, the return in dividends in minimal. Eating is a major necessity. Yet many choose to consume foods that are nutritionally dead. Sex . . . is good. It feels good and it good for the body. Yet, sex is promoted as a voracious past-time and engaged in flippantly. Many use sex as a substitute . . . as an avoidance technique as opposed to an avenue intimacy and bonding. Fear of not having, of losing can be negatively impactful on the nervous system. This can spill over into imparting deleterious effects on the physical body. Humans can proceed along a different route. The path of spiritual awakening will mitigate any (of the) contrary qualities of the aforementioned aspects.
On a side note, there is the possibility that other organisms besides humans can and do exercise a capacity for spiritual edification. Yet, studies only showcase to how humans exhibit this characteristic. Humans, by and large, could be more universal in expressing their own specific spiritual ideologies and accepting of accepting of other’s paths on that journey. If humans could connect with other organisms on an open, more expansive level, this could result in beneficial affects for the world, at large.
Ab-Sutra Wellness and Fitness 