25 Body Types....better than a personality test

As you know I have been on an adventure with essential oils for the last few years. In my journey to become Essentially Me, I attended a training on those oils and purchased a book called "Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils." In reading the book I found that the author has broken society down into 25 body types, which are all characterized by a dominant organ. There is a way to discern what your dominant organ is; and I discovered that I am an Intestinal Body type. Here's what the description of the intestine body types are:

The Intestinal dominant traits are Spiritual and Emotional. Expansion is absolutely essential. If Intestinals do not expand mentally or emotionally, they will expand physically. Restriction motivates them to change, forcing them out of an untenable situation into an unknown physical, mental world. It is here where they can genuinely expand, taking in new experiences and creating an environment which is truly peace on earth. 

Interesting! Then, the next page says that each body type has core emotional issues that they deal with. The Intestinal type often deal with Abandonment, Not Good Enough, Rejection, Despair and Criticism. 

Shut the front door! Hi, my name is Jill and I am the poster child for a Intestinal Body types. Crazy!

So then I skim the rest of her book and see that she wrote a book about how each Body Type has their own diet. So I bought it. I'll be damned. ( I was going to try to change that to danged or something, but it just doesn't sound right.)

Here's what the diet book says about Intestinal Body types. 

"Intestinal Body types are symbolized by a funnel. Intestinal types accept everything that comes in and then discern what to keep and what to release. Constant new experiences are vital to their growth and expression. Sensitive and extremely emotional, Intestinal body types are typical gentle, loving and compassionate. Relationships are of utmost importance to them, particularly family and close friends. With their extreme sensitivity, they are exceedingly concerned about feelings. When they are not sure how to deal with an uncomfortable situation, they internalize it. Being acutely aware of the stress that unresolved issues creates for them personally, as well as in their relationships, they have a strong need to clean the air."

It goes on to say amazing stuff about motivation for Intestinal types. One thing to note is that "Change is not easy, however, for because their sensitivity and feelings of insecurity in the world often cause an internal conflict. To feel safe, Intestinal types often gather all the information they can find on a new subject and analyze it in detail until they fully understand it." Basically over thinking things is the way Intestinal people balance out being over emotional. Sweet Jesus! I have never read a truer statement. 

"Intestinal people when at their worst can be arrogant know it alls, who shut out new sources of information. When emotions are close to the surface, they can be overly sentimental, easily crying or laughing or swinging to the opposite extreme of being abrasive." It's true, and I am sorry. "When they let people push their buttons, their soft spoken demeanor quickly changes to suspicion and contentiousness." Summarizing the rest, they are prone to worry, stress, fatigue which leads to depression and pessimism, or fantasy and denial because they don't know how to deal with their emotions. "Because of a fear of loss or rejection, Ontestinal types tend to get too attached to their families (or their put together families). 

At their best, "intestinal types have a good sense of humor and can be a lot of fun to be around. They can fill a room with their jou and vivaciousness." They are drawn to non-traditional experiences. 

The goal for me: "self sufficient and introspective, they take care of themselves, setting limits and establishing boundaries for what other people can expect of them...once intestinal types are able to express their creative energies effectively by keeping the channel to their intuitive side open and learning to observe their emotions and let them pass, they seem to be intuitively connected to the universe and are able to flow with life." 

After that amazing description of myself, the book then goes on to talk about foods to eat and ones to avoid. It's super interesting. 

I profiled my parents as well. I believe my mom is a Skin Type and I believe that my dad is a Pituitary Gland Type. That in and of itself it so revelatory. It explains a ton of tension between my mother and me, and why my dad and I get along so well. 

I cannot help but think of 1 Cor. 12:12-31, when I read this:

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 Suppose the whole body were an eye -- then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything? 18 But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. 19 What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." 22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen,24 while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28 Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages. 29 Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30 Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! 31 And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts. First, however, let me tell you about something else that is better than any of them!

What Dr. Mein has done, is to use body analogies to describe psychological or personality traits. As the body of Christ, we have too see that we are not all the same. 

What do you think about all of this? 

If you would like to get these books, here are pictures of the covers.