The Four Worlds: Physical, Analytical, Emotional, Spiritual

The 16 meridians defined in Infinity Flexibility’s Meridian Archetypes series are evenly divided between the four worlds – physical, analytical, emotional, and spiritual. 

Have you ever wondered why are some of us attracted to intense aerobic exercise and others can’t break a sweat without a concrete end goal? 

Or why do some people live in the past, others in the present, and still more in the future?

What drives us to choose partners, careers, and lifestyles that are unique to us and our needs?

Emotions take us on a rollercoaster from madly in love to the depths of despair. Thoughts flow like a never-ending stream and, the whole time we exist on this planet we wonder why.

Why are we here, what is our purpose, and is there a higher power out there guiding us along our projected path?

Everyone has experiences in each of the four worlds – but we are most “at home” in one of them. Keep reading to learn more about the four worlds as well as how to find out which one has the most influence on you.

What the Four Worlds Reveal About You

We are all physical, spiritual, emotional, and analytical to some degree. But Infinity strongly believes that we each perceive the world through our dominant world. 

Knowing which of the four worlds you live in can help you in all aspects of your life. 

Your world can help you find the type of physical exercise that brings balance to your body, improves your ability to regulate your emotions, teaches you how to ask better questions, and connects you to something bigger than yourself.

The four worlds show you your strengths and weaknesses. 

Physical types are the most grounded in their physical body but also the most impulsive. Spiritual types are creative dreamers but are also the most likely to zone out in the middle of a conversation. Emotional types easily tune into how they feel but may get overwhelmed in an emotionally charged situation. Analytical types always know the right questions to ask but may struggle to make fast decisions.

Most of all, knowing the world that you live in helps you understand your relationship with yourself and others. 

Why do you struggle to come up with a coherent argument based on facts? (Hint, you might be an emotional type) Maybe you naturally excel at all physical activities but can never sit still for long enough to make a responsible decision. (Looking at you, physical types) You may zone out in the middle of a crowded room (spiritual type all the way) or forget to check in with how you feel (analytical type M.O.).

By defining your dominant world, you aren’t excluding all of the others. Emotional types are still able to think critically and analytical types can be overwhelmed by emotion. But each of us has a default, and that default can teach us a lot about ourselves.

We each have a balance of all four, but one might jump out at you as your dominant world of existence. Learn more about each of the four worlds below and see which one resonates with you the most. 

Physical

Physical types are the most comfortable in their physical body. They always understand where they are in space and always know where the exit is in a movie theater. Physical types push themselves physically and often excel at sports and other physical activities without much effort.

Keep in mind that physical types are spiritual in their unconscious. Even though you might live in the moment, you also have a depth that may lead you to push past what can typically be accomplished with the physical body. Think about the people who climb Mount Everest and have to push beyond their normal physical limits by tapping into something deep within them.

The four meridians that live in the physical world are lung, thymus, skin, and heart.

Analytical

The analytical types ask lots of questions. They are the most likely to obsess over an idea or concept, learning all they can about it. Analytical types are naturally good at arguing, throwing fact after indisputable fact at their opponent until the opposition crumbles.

Many analytical types are self-taught or get the majority of their education outside of typical education structures. They transcend the teacher and often have to go off on their own to satisfy their need for knowledge. Think of the Wright brothers who obsessed over how to fly until they came up with a way to do it.

The four meridians that live in the analytical world are kidney, brain, gallbladder, and stomach.

Emotional

Emotional types are community builders. They are the most likely to have a large group of friends and socialize with ease. Most of them are exceptionally empathetic and can always see a situation from another’s perspective.  

Emotional types are easy to be around even when you are in a bad mood. They are very connected to their breath. Think of the high-energy person in your yoga class who sets the mood for the whole room and, when asked to deepen their breath, is already taking deep belly breaths.

The four meridians that live in the emotional world are liver, sexual, bladder, and small intestine.

Spiritual

Spiritual types are either consciously or unconsciously aware of energy. As children, they may take on the emotional or spiritual burdens of others without even realizing they are doing so. Eventually, they have to learn how to bring themselves back down to Earth otherwise they spend their whole lives in daydreams and their own imagination.

Spiritual types have a natural restraint in everything they do, a resistance that allows them to take their time and make the right decision no matter the outside pressure. Think of the person who can “zone out” anyplace, anytime.

The four meridians that live in the spiritual world are the pericardium, appendix, large intestine, and spleen.

Finding Your World

To identify the world that you live in the most, here are some questions to ask yourself.

Are you dominant in your arms or your legs? 

Analytical and emotional types are leg dominant while spiritual and physical types are arm dominant. Knowing if your upper or lower body is dominant can help you narrow down your search.

Ask yourself:

• When you fall asleep, what do you fuss with the most? 
• Are you broader in the shoulders or hips when you look at yourself in the mirror? 
• Are you stronger in the upper or lower body?
• Which world are you naturally drawn to?

Physical, emotional, analytical, and spiritual – the world that appeals to you the most might be your subconscious world. Physical types are the most spiritual in their subconscious. Spiritual types are spacey doesn’t mean they don’t love to break a sweat. Emotional types long for the past, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good at planning for the future. Analytical types are amazing planners but they also learn from the mistakes of their past.

Ask yourself:

• Do you feel more physical, emotional, spiritual, or analytical?
• Which of the four worlds resonates the most with you?
• What’s your favorite type of exercise?

As an integrative bodywork studio, Infinity is always concerned with how you move your body. 

Physical types like high-demand aerobic exercise. Emotional types love breathwork so highly regulated exercise (like swimming) feels best for them. Analytical types like thinking about the way they are working their body and love exercise where they can learn something about their body. Spiritual types want to move but also tap into that higher power – they are often drawn to yoga and other mind-body types of exercise.

Ask yourself:

• What is your favorite type of exercise?
• Are you naturally good at regulating your breathing?
• Do you need a mental or spiritual component to help motivate you?
• How easy is it for you to get in the zone?
• How do you live in relation to time?

The four worlds all have a unique perception of time. Physical types live in the present, always conscious of what is happening right now. If time often slips away without your noticing, you might be a spiritual type. Emotional types often live in the past and analytical types always have one foot in the future.

Ask yourself:

• Do you live in the past, present, or future?
• Do you lose time or feel timeless?

All of the worlds are interrelated. If you are having a hard time deciding which world you belong to, keep following our blog to learn more.

Infinity Flexibility uses the four worlds to diagnose and treat physical imbalances. Flexibility and strength training corrects any imbalances along the meridian lines, working through all four worlds to bring balance to the whole body. Stay tuned for the Infinity Meridian Archetype quiz to help you find your dominant world!