Band Member Voices
April Culture Column - OUR BODIES ARE SPIRITUAL INTERFACES
By Nazhike, Mille Lacs Band Member
As Anishinaabe, we are told about our Inner Anishinaabe Spirit. We must nourish our spirits by utilizing everything we are given as Anishinaabe. Our bodies are like a hardware system, like a virtual reality headset. These VR Headsets are an interface from the physical world to the digital. Our bodies are similar to the headset, an interface for our spirit to experience, interpret and act within this physical world.
Our spirit is unlimited. It's aware, carries memory, direction, purpose but it doesn't operate here on its own. It works through our body by experiencing what we feel, what we see, how we think, how we respond. The body becomes the processing system that takes in the world and sends signals to our spirits to display what is being experienced. And just like any system, the quality of the experience depends on how well it's functioning.
I've seen it in myself and in others that when the body is tired, overwhelmed, clouded by substances or distracted by too much noise something glitches. We may hesitate more, second guess ourselves or react instead of responding. That spiritual intuition, the guidance from your spirit that usually guides you, gets harder to hear. It's like the signal is still there, but the system can't process it cleanly.
We don't always think of it this way. We separate things. Physical health over here. Mental health over there. Spiritual health somewhere else entirely. But that separation is part of the problem. Bimaadiziwin never thought of it as separation but as integration. Everything works together.
If the body is compromised, the spirit doesn't disappear, it can't guide as clearly and experiences our world through what may seem like a faulty screen. It's like looking at the world in poor picture quality. Lagging with poor signal. If you're putting things into your body that dull your awareness, your judgment shifts and affects how you lead, how you speak, how you make decisions. Your spirit experiences everything we do, when our bodies are compromised, so is that experience.
When that happens long enough, it seems like you've lost direction, that you don't know their purpose. But a lot of times, it's not that the purpose is gone. It's that the connection to it is distorted. You are unable to process messages from your spirit and the spirit is gaining tough experiences and trying to help but it's like the controller doesn't work. The spirit is still there guiding, but the body has to be able to receive it.
That's where responsibility comes in. Taking care of the body isn't just about looking good or feeling good in the moment. Its about maintaining a clear channel, a functioning and constantly upgraded operating system, and giving our spirits the best experiences while here in this physical world. It's about making sure the system you're operating through is responsive, stable and capable.
What you eat, how you rest, what you allow into your mind, who you surround yourself with matters. All of it affects how clearly you can hear that internal direction. Our spirits aren't lost, it's working through us constantly. The question is whether we're maintaining the system well enough to let it do its job.
Miigwech.
