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ok this is an essay i wrote up last night on being truly healthy. please be aware that when i write a philosophy essay i dont edit it at all other than spell check. i just let the my creativity flow onto paper so i apologize if there are any errors.

In many pagan paths, primarily shamanism, there is a common concepts of the many bodies that each of us is made of. The common number is four. You have your spiritual, emotional, physical and mental bodies. Each body has things you do to keep them healthy and functioning properly. It’s important to maintain balance between them because they are all connected. Concentrating or neglecting one will harm the other three as well as the one you are favoring or neglecting.
The first body I’ll talk about is the base one, the physical body. In alchemy this body is associated with the element of earth, as it is the physical manifestation of your being. It’s easy to see how to keep this body healthy. In fact our culture has many “experts” in keeping it healthy. Well some of what they say is right. Eating healthy and exercising is the easiest way. But there are two more things that a lot of people never think about when they hear the word health. Hygiene is an important part of keeping this body healthy. Just as in some of the other body you deal with impurities that must be cleansed the same goes for your physical body. One even less commonly thought of is beauty. It’s important to maintain a presentable appearance. This isn’t vanity or pride. As I explain each of the other bodies you’ll realize that they are all connected. By maintaining a presentable appearance we help to build confidence which boosts the health of our emotional body.
The second body to consider is your mental body or what is often referred to as your mind. This is where logical thought comes from. It’s represented by the element of air. Ways to maintain a healthy mental body is learning. Getting enjoyment from learning new things, experiencing things and gaining wisdom are all important to maintain this body. Many would like to neglect this body is favor of their emotional or physical body. But the truth is that’s not healthy at all. An example would be if you focused a lot on your physical body (i.e. worked out all the time) but never learned anything then you would get hurt. The truth is that even the most “buff” person has to be intelligent because they need to know their limits, take safety precautions, learn and try new exercises to test their strength. This body is just as vital as the physical one.
The third body is your emotional body. This is represented by the element of water. Every emotion you have affects the way you interact with others as well as how you view yourself. This body tends to manifest itself on the other two I’ve mentioned above. If you are depressed you might stop eating, over or under sleep, or commit self harm. Also studying and experiencing new things is difficult to do while depressed, angry or scared. Ways to keep this body healthy are just enjoy life. Find the bright side of every situation. Fill your life with things that bring you peace and joy. It sounds kinda fluffy and naïve but I’m not talking about becoming a permanent third grader who plays video games all the time. If you’re at work try listening to music while you work. If that’s not possible be social. Find something you can do while working that will brighten your day or make you feel good about the job you’re doing. There is a saying I’ve heard, “If you enjoy the job you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”. That’s so true! If you’re in a career that you truly enjoy then everyday to you is like recess.
The fourth body is your spiritual body, represented by the element of fire. In America this is by far the most neglected body of all. Even as I’m writing this essay I know of many times where I’ve neglected to keep this body happy and instead chose to focus on my other three. This is also one of the most personal bodies. The key to a healthy spiritual body is being in contact with Deity. Whether you’re Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or pagan this body is important to maintain. Spend time everyday praying, reading sacred texts (if your faith has any), meditating on what your faith means to you. Most of you reading this will know that I’m pagan. I don’t have a bible or any other sacred text. But every morning I wake up and pray. I ask God to help me learn whatever lessons I need to learn that day. It doesn’t have to be an hour long ritual or anything fancy. Wake up every morning and just take a moment to be quiet and ask God to help you achieve your highest good. Praying that is asking God to bring into your life whatever he feels will be for your best. Then be open to experiencing his presence and influence in your life.
I said I’d discuss more of how these bodies interact and I’m feeling like I may already have. Shamans have been healing these bodies for years. It’s what brings about true health. Neglecting your emotions only works for so long before it manifests as sickness in your physical body or an inability to learn in your mental body. Even your spiritual body affects the others. It is a proven study that having a religion decreases crime rates, divorces, and promotes general better citizenship. I already explained how over focusing on your physical body can lead to imbalances. Here’s a funny example for your mental body. Think of the typical high school “nerd”. They read and read and read. But in reading their bodies tend to get sicker or they begin not caring about their appearance. They also often have emotional problems, be it an inability to connect to others or depression.
This is a pretty big concept and some people may be skeptical about whether this all matters. But I challenge all reading this to pay attention to their habits and also their deficiencies. Then try balancing the four bodies and see how your life changes. You’ll be surprised by the results I think.

neutral Every, God damned cultural role has and will be and has been in the past and will happen again, Every, cultural role will be generalized at some point.

Why? Because humans are dicks and rewrite history or destroy it. Every culture role gets generalized. You can't change that.

well the point of using the word shaman was to be general in a sense of the whole medicine man archetype. if you have a better term i'll try to remember to use it. as for a link to this study... hahahahaha thats really funny. this is me writing. everything their came from my own life experiences, meditation and contact with Diety, and a little bit of reading on alchemy and some other random occult studies. but the whole putting it together and making it all cohesive wwas my own doing