Below are two exercises that can help us understand our self as distinct from our physical body.
Exercise One:
1) Stand in front of a full-length mirror.
2) Look at the toes of your body. Ask the question: Am I these toes?
3) Look at the feet of your body. Ask the question: Am I these feet?
4) Look at the legs of your body. Ask the question: Am I these legs?
5) Look at the hips of your body. Ask the question: Am I these hips?
6) Look at the groin region of your body. Ask the question: Am I these sexual organs?
7) Look at the abdominal region of your body. Ask the question: Am I this belly?
8) Look at the chest of your body. Ask the question: Am I this chest?
9) Look at the arms of your body. Ask the question: Am I these arms?
10) Look at the hands. Ask the question: Am I these hands?
11) Look at the shoulders. Ask the question: Am I these shoulders?
12) Look at the neck. Ask the question: Am I this neck?
13) Look at the face. Ask the question: Am I this face?
14) Look at the eyes. Ask the question: Am I these eyes?
15) Look at the nose. Ask the question: Am I this nose?
16) Look at the hair (or scalp if bald). Ask the question: Am I this hair or scalp?
17) Now ponder the contents of the cranium, the brain tissues and nerves. Ask the questions: Am I this brain? Am I this nervous system?
18) Now ponder the mind and its various memories and concoctions. Remember how you changed your mind about something recently, and remember how different your mind was when your body was a child. Now ask the question: Am I this mind?
For all of these questions, the answer should have been no. You are none of these body parts and components of the physical shell you temporarily operate. You are the spiritual living being within this temporary physical shell. You are the driver of this physical body.
Exercise Two:
This next exercise helps us further realize our position as the driver of the body. Again, look at your body in the mirror, and consider the distinction between a car and that car's driver:
1) Compare your eyes to the windshield of the car.
2) Compare your mouth with the car's horn
3) Compare your arms with the car's front wheels
4) Compare your legs with the car's back wheels
5) Compare your brain and nervous system with the electronic system of the car
6) Compare your feet with the car's tires
7) Compare your organs with the car's engine
8) Compare eating with filling the car with gasoline
9) Compare drinking water with putting oil into the crankcase
10) Compare the trunk of this car with all your mental baggage
11) Compare this car's driver with you, the living being within
12) Compare getting into the car with the conception of your physical body.
13) Compare driving the car out of the garage with the birth of your body.
14) Compare getting out of the car with the coming death of your physical body.
These two exercises can be done in succession or on different occasions. The exercises will help reveal to the thoughtful person that you are not this physical body and mind. You are occupying a physical body, but you are distinct from the body.
Rather, you are the living spirit-person within this body.
You are made of a different substance than the physical body and mind are made of. That substance you are composed of is spiritual, not material: This substance is eternal, not temporary.
You are a child of the Supreme Spirit.
