7 LEVELS OF LIVING

by Dr. Lawrence Wilson

All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

An ancient teaching is that life exists on seven levels at the same time. If we can keep them all in balance, we will live in integrity, and will be far healthier and happier.

These seven levels correlate with the seven main physical energy centers on the body. These are known by different names, and they help create and maintain every human being.

THE FIRST LEVEL - PHYSICAL SURVIVAL

We all require food, water, air and warmth. The first level of living is all about obtaining these consistently, and of the best quality. So this level of living is all about your nutrition. It is about loving yourself at a physical level. Please never ignore this!

This level of living also has to do with physical safety. Safety should permeate everything you do, and everyone with whom you are in contact. It is a lifestyle trait that pays big dividends, even if it seems a little boring and tedious, at times. So be sure to check out your friends, your dates, and anything you buy or bring into your home. Travel and outings are not necessarily that safe, so check carefully with whom and where you go. Other aspects of safety are to always dress warmly and cover up, whether or not it is in fashion.

The first level also has to do with getting enough rest, going to bed early, and getting a little exercise. I do not believe people need vigorous exercise if one eats properly, but some exercise is helpful for everyone.

To succeed at this level one must stay grounded and centered, at all times. Pay attention to the basics, and always make them a priority in your life. It does not matter if it seems time-consuming, for example, to eat freshly-cooked meals instead of stopping at a fast food restaurant. It is possible to eat well at restaurants, but it will cost much more. It is also often not as relaxing as eating home-cooked meals that you prepare.

The first level is a masculine level, in that one must push ahead and forge a life for oneself out of nothingness, basically. This means that one must set up rules for oneself, and a lifestyle that is safe and nourishes the physical body well.

This level of functioning corresponds to the first physical energy center of a human being located near the genital organs. It extends downward between the legs. This energy center grounds and centers a human being on earth. It is often easier to do for men today than for women, so women may have to work a little harder to succeed at this level.

THE SECOND LEVEL – THE EMOTIONAL LEVEL

This is also a personal level, but it is not about physical survival. Instead, it is about the emotions and sexual matters. These also need to be in balance and in integrity to fully enjoy life and maintain excellent health.

One does not need a partner to be happy. Indeed, it is wise to be choosy. It is also better to limit sexual intercourse to no more than once a week, and even less as one ages.

Emotional control is another aspect of this level of living. This does not mean to suppress emotions, but it does mean to moderate them and not to live on an emotional roller coaster. At times, this has to do with nutrition. Emotional control is also always a choice that one needs to make for optimum living.

The second level of life also has to do with marriage and living arrangements. In general, marriage is helpful for people. Living together out of wedlock is not nearly as healthful, and is best avoided. Also, according to this system of understanding life, homosexual relationships are not best. Heterosexual relationships offer much more opportunity for balance and harmony.

To succeed at this level, one needs to become conscious of one’s feelings and emotional needs. These are somewhat individual, so do not just do what everyone else is doing.

This is a more feminine level, as is has to do with feeling and receiving another into your life, if you so desire it. This level corresponds to the second physical energy center of a human being. This is located about two inches below the navel, along the midline of the body.

THE THIRD LEVEL – MENTAL CONTROL, EGO AND BELIEFS

The third level of living has to do with developing a strong ego and healthy attitudes. Having a strong ego is not a problem as long as you keep it in check. It can help a person to be happy and stable, two words that fit this level of life.

One’s basic attitudes about life determine, in large part, if one feels in control and empowered, or if you feel like a victim. This level has to do with developing healthy attitudes such as knowing that you are always loved by your Creator, that you have a lot of control over your life, and that you always co-create your life.

In reality, no one is a victim unless one chooses so. This is even true if you are in jail! Maintaining a healthy body has a lot to do with fostering healthy attitudes about life.

To succeed at this early mental level, one needs to examine one’s thoughts and attitudes. These may need adjusting if the attitudes are overly negative, for example, or cynical, or too skeptical, or too open and accepting.

This is the first truly human level of living. The two earlier levels are animal levels, though they are important. This is also a more masculine level because it has to with forging a path for oneself in the realm of the mind and the ego. Men are often somewhat better at doing this then women, so women need to spend the time and energy to build healthy attitudes and live by them.

The third level of living corresponds to the third physical energy center. It is located at the level of the solar plexis, near the diaphragm.

THE FOURTH LEVEL – THE SOCIAL LEVEL

This level has to do with social relationships such as friendships, business associates, work colleagues, relationships with relatives, and other social relations. It also has to do with one’s overall social outlook on life.

Some people, for example, choose to withdraw socially. This is harmful for most people. Others choose to extend themselves too much socially, or in ways that are not healthy.

Women are often more socially oriented, and this is a more feminine level because it is about relationships. A healthy social life is helpful for women, as long as it does not endanger them or cause them to be too superficial, or scatter their energy among too many people.

Key words at this level are comfort and compassion for all. This does not mean associating with everyone or compromising one’s values in any way. However, it means to understand that all people are one, at some level, and not holding grudges or prejudices against some people for any reason.

This level of life is the first one that is about other people. In other words, it is a less personal level, as are all the levels from here on. The fourth level is about give and take, and learning to do this with an easy rhythm that neither wears you out, nor isolates you from others.

The fourth level of living corresponds to the fourth physical energy center, located in the middle of the chest. At times, it is called the heart center.

THE FIFTH LEVEL – CREATIVE EXPRESSION

The fifth, sixth and seventh levels of living are about one’s activities in the world. They are considered more advanced levels that are more difficult to operate at for many people. However, one’s deep happiness depends upon success at these levels, so it is wise to pay attention to them.

The fifth level is about creative expression. Expression means making a mark on the world by expressing who you are and using your talents in some way.

Everyone has talents or abilities, but many people do not use them. They might include writing, speaking, artwork, music, dance, engineering, construction, repair, landscaping, working with children or adults, and many other possible endeavors. Leaving your mark can also be about building and helping your family, your friends or your children.

This level is often about one’s work, although it could be about a hobby or avocation, or a role in life such as motherhood or fatherhood.

To be successful at this level, it is not enough to have a job, a career or a family. One must also make the job or family your own, and work on it in a way you enjoy, and not just a prescribed way dictated by someone else or by society. This does not mean you must work for yourself. It is fine to work for another. However, you must work creatively and expressively.

This is another masculine level because it has to do with carving out your creative niche in society. This takes some work, at times, and may take time, as well, to move into a position where you are using your abilities to express in the world.

This level of living corresponds to the fifth physical energy center of a human being. It is located at the level of the throat, and is often called the throat center. The throat is the location of the vocal chords, from where we express ourselves.

THE SIXTH LEVEL – KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM

This level has to do with using the brain to acquire knowledge and to develop wisdom. Many men and women do this later in life – too late, in fact, to really help themselves and their families as much as it could benefit them. So begin to work on this level of living when you are young.

This is a more advanced level that requires more brainpower. You must be well-nourished to live at this level.

A key phrase to describe this level is extension into the world. This does not mean just living or working in the world. It means to extend one’s consciousness into this world in order to learn from it. It is about having deeper relationships with others and with the world.

To succeed at this level, one must use the brain to think about experiences and distill from these experiences wisdom about how the world works, and how to interact with it.

This is a more feminine level in that one learns how to receive knowledge and to filter it or refine it to acquire wisdom. Receiving is always a feminine trait.

This level of living corresponds to the sixth physical energy center on a human being. It is located between the eyebrows, and is sometimes called the brow center.

THE SEVENTH LEVEL – SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

The seventh level is a culmination of the other six levels, and also adds another dimension to life. It is sometimes called the spiritual dimension because this level is one at which one connects to unseen beings and higher levels of consciousness.

For example, at this level a person often becomes interested in religion, in faith, in grace, in the love of God, and in other concepts that are not of the physical world.

To succeed at this level, one usually must spend some time alone, or at least in quiet meditation or contemplation, listening to what is sometimes called the “still small voice within”. If you do this, you will receive messages and guidance from the Holy Spirit, angels, guides, masters, Source or God. These may come as hunches, intuitions, insights, feelings or revelations.

This is a masculine level because one must reach out from the physical life and ask for guidance and help, and extend oneself upward to other levels of being. Many human beings today do not do this, thinking it is silly or that there is no more to life other than the purely physical level. This is completely false.

This level is all about a more subtle aspect of life that should crown, connect and integrate all the earlier levels. It corresponds to the seventh physical energy center on a human being. This is located at the crown of the head, and extends upward from the head. Some people refer to it as the crown center.

CONCLUSION

This article can give one a blueprint for living successfully by paying attention to all the levels of living in one’s life. If you are not happy or healthy, ask yourself which level is out of balance, or which have you ignored, or which needs a little more love at this time.

A wonderful way to move love and life through the energy centers is to simply visualize energy moving down from the top of the head all the way to the feet. You can do this while walking, standing, sitting or lying down. I strongly suggest doing this daily, always and only in a downward direction. Doing it this way activates all seven of your energy centers. As a result, you will receive intuitions and insights about how to balance your life in the best possible way.

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