Understanding the Consciousness of the Body

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If we reflect on how many
actions or operations of the

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physical body take place without
our mental intervention, it

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becomes clear that the body has
its own highly developed and

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essential form of consciousness
that operates independently of

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the mind.
One common example is widely

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experienced and individuals
walking across ice or some other

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slippery surface.
And suddenly starts to lose his

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balance.
Before the mind can react, the

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body sets in motion a balancing
routine and in many cases can

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prevent an outright fall to the
ground.

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Other examples get into the
entire complex mechanism of how

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the body's organs and internal
functions occur.

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When placed under some kind of
threat, the body reacts with a

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fight or flight response.
Secreting adrenaline to activate

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the sense organs and the organs
of action to prepare for some

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kind of emergency response.
Cellular energy production, the

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functioning of the digestive
system, the detoxifying system

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of the kidneys, the blood sugar
regulating action of the

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pancreas, The multiple actions
of the liver.

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The metabolism regulating action
of the thyroid, the responses of

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the body's immune systems, the
master control of various glands

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through the pituitary, the
chemistry underlying the need

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for sleep, the call of hunger
and thirst, The method for

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carrying sense impressions
across nervous pathways and the

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function of neurotransmitters.
All represent bodily

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functionality that is not
controlled or driven by the

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mental awareness directly.
When something malfunctions at

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the level of the body
consciousness, the mind

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frequently has no idea of the
underlying cause or how to

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address the issue.
This has led to the development

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of an enormous proliferation of
specialized doctors.

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Medical researchers and
extensive and highly detailed

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tests to try to figure out what
is not working as expected in

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the automatic bodily metabolic
systems and thereby to try to

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intervene to help restore the
balance if possible.

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While it is true that the mind
and the vital can have impact on

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these bodily functions, it
remains an indirect influence.

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That does not entirely override
or control the native function

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of the body to the extent also
that the bodily has undergone

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changes through a disease
process.

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The support or pressure applied
by the mind or the vital is not

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immediate but must work through
the body and its functions in a

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process that takes time.
The body's consciousness is

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based on developments that have
evolved through millennia.

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And which may have their roots
in the original stirrings of

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life in matter.
For that to occur, changes in

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the physical substance of matter
were required that developed

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into a physical consciousness
that could support the movement

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of the life energy in matter.
The relationships between

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systems, organs, functions have
been replicated and refined.

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As life forms became more
complex and eventually began to

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adapt to the evolution of the
mental consciousness and the

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additional needs that were
recognized to create these

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support structures for life and
mind in matter, Sriorobindo

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writes Quote The body has its
own consciousness and acts from

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it even without any mental will
of our own.

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Or even against that will.
And our surface mind knows very

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little about this body
consciousness, feels it only in

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an imperfect way, sees only its
results, and has the greatest

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difficulty in finding out their
causes.

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It is part of the yoga to become
aware of this separate

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consciousness of the body, to
see and feel its movements.

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And the forces that act upon it
from inside or outside, and to

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learn how to control and direct
it, even in its most hidden and

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to us subconscient processes.
But the body consciousness

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itself is only part of the
individualized physical

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consciousness in us which we
gather and build out of the

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secretly conscious forces of
universal physical nature.

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End Quote Reference Triorobindo
and the Mother Our Many Selves.

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Practical Yogic Psychology,
Chapter 2, Planes and Parts of

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the Being, pages 20 to 21.