“No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire.” — Thomas Merton

This piece concerns interoception, or body awareness, for the purpose of becoming more aware of and in tune with your body.

You juggle your daily schedule and have some reservations about your family. You have a profession for which you’ve developed some skills, but you only rely on one or two skills at a time. You’d like to find higher insight in order to bring meaning, purpose, and personal value to life.

Your mind coordinates. That’s what it does, and it manages generalities and uncertainties. For this, you’ve developed attitudes, guidelines, and a personality. These “soft qualities” help manage the chaos and opportunities of life, but it is not quite enough. We’re always looking for a little prophecy, a little more certainty, a connection with the things that really matter.

Which is More Real, the Future or the Present?

Everything in your head pertains to what might be. Your brain is a forward-looking organ that creates and manages information. It’s your organ of uncertainty, and that’s why it has no certain shape or function, and we cannot isolate its parts.

Everything your brain does projects the present into the future. The reason we cannot “find” the mind in substance or organ is because “the mind” exists in and for the future. It does not exist in the present. All we hear that tells us to be present refers not to who we are, but where we’re coming from. A sound mind is rooted in a clear connection with the present, but does not exist in it. What we call existence is our temporal connection to the future.

What Defines Us?

Your mind is a servant, no matter how smart you are. We invent the notion of God to have something to be of service to, simply because, as servants, we need direction. I think God is as good a unifying principle as any, as long as you leave it unformed and unspoken. Don’t put words in the mouths of your gods. Take only general direction from them.

Your mind deals with and is composed of uncertainty and change. What your mind needs is a reliable foundation. An unassailable reality that is certain and unequivocal. We know reality is relative to what you interact with, which means there is one primary reality for us all. But there is one presence that is grounded in universal law, balance, and fair behavior.

This master both loves you and is responsible for you. It knows you better than anyone and is devoted to your best interests and your highest evolution. It speaks many languages and never leaves you. Before you look to celestial guidance or moral purpose, this is the first and perhaps only real master of your house. This master is your body.

As Above, So Below

To compare the universal deity to your last s**t may be the greatest opposition we can imagine, but there is a sneaky truth in the dictum of “as above, so below.” There is no problem connecting s**t to reality. Of all the things in this world that deserve to be thought of as being connected to everything, s**t qualifies. We can prove it. On the other hand, there is no proof that God, mind, or human values have reality or connect to anything.

I’m not evangelizing the church of s**t. I’m saying that our s**t is the ultimate output of our daily functions. Putting aside our noble goals, lineage, and cosmic purpose, the thing that we’re certain we don’t want is s**t. Of course, it is not bad; it is simply the paradigm of irrelevance. Yet, ‌if there is to be a cycle of life and continuity, this s**t must hold a foundational place in it. And it does, just not for us in its present form.

I mention s**t just to create the contrast. To know precisely what you don’t want is useful knowledge in finding what you do want. In a twisted kind of way, what you do want is everything that s**t becomes for all the world that you don’t serve. S**t is your link to the cycle of life. If your mind is forward-navigating the world, then your s**t is a backward reflection of your role in the universe.

Who Lives In the Present?

Your s**t is your past, but it is the future for essential parts of our universe. It is as essential to life as the air we exhale. Your mind holds the quintessential sense of you but, aside from your positive or negative legacy, who you are makes no difference. To be fair, my cat would like me to continue to feed and house him, but that’s the limit of his concern. Dogs and families have other attitudes, but it still boils down to how you support them.

Support is the keystone that holds the cycle together. People who don’t support you are not enhancing your future or your role in it. They are indigestible elements or worse; they may be toxic. Again, we come back to the body.

The point I’m making—and it’s more of a statement—is that you’re only as clear about your future as you are grounded in your body. And whereas you spend a lot of time wondering about what to do next, you won’t get far unless you’re well connected to your physical reality. Your body is the key to knowing what is nutritious and what is toxic.

Let’s Talk About Kidneys

The parts of your body I’m most concerned with are your organs, and I’m most concerned with the internal ones. Your skin, bones, and muscles can be thought of as organs, but they’re different. I think we have a direct connection to them, though the connection could be improved.

I have been working with the internal organs, and I have created meditations on all that I could relate to, but I still need to address the kidneys. I’ve left this system to last because I find it difficult. The kidneys are a pair of delicate, hidden organs that perform subtle functions of balancing and purifying the blood.

Next week, I will publish my hypnotic kidney induction. Its purpose is to connect your mind with the mentality of your kidneys. Your kidneys “think” in an organic way. They are dynamic and responsive, and they communicate with your body through the release of hormones.

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