Maslow proposed the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ in a paper named “A Theory of Human Motivation” in 1943. It is usually seen as a pyramid where the lowest sections refer to the Deficiency needs and as we go up, they become Growth needs. It is a five-tier model of human needs. A human starts the journey by fulfilling the needs from the lowest. As the time goes and the growth takes place the needs are to be fulfilled by the human to reach the top. Unless the lowest needs are satisfied the upper needs will wait. The lower needs act like motivation for a human to suffice the deficient needs. Chakras are the energy centres that run and maintain a human body. There are major seven Chakras named as Root, Sacral, Solar plexus, Heart, Throat, Third-eye, and Crown. Starting from the base of the spine to the Crown the Chakras are placed. The position, condition, and activity levels of the Chakras decide the health of the systems governing our entire body. To know more about chakras please visit: http://healermitali.com/meditation-room/
The hierarchy of needs are as follows:
- Biological or physiological needs
- Safety needs
- Love and belonging needs
- Need needs
- Self-actualization needs
When the lower needs are met satisfactorily the human grows towards the growth needs.
Meeting the basic needs starts from deprivation, gradually these needs are fulfilled making them a normal routine of life. When a human start to understand or have a concept that the needs are just live a life without giving it a notion of attachment or detachment the human grows.
The needs also play an important part considering the frequency of thoughts an individual has. For example, if a person keeps thinking of food throughout the day, they are in the lowest hierarchy. The sign of growth is when that person understands that food is a small part of life and stops giving it a full-time attention the growth happens. The frequency of thoughts based on the hierarchy they belong decide the level they belong to. Similar example is when a person keeps worrying about the safety in life and is always fearful of the life’s security. Another important example is when a person’s self-esteem depends on the opinion, feedback, comments, etc. of others. When a person grows above that and is confident about the self, they grow above the Esteem needs and move toward the Growth needs.
The frequency of thoughts along with the level of attachment or detachment decide the hierarchy a person will belong to. The growth happens when an individual makes the needs as a salient feature of their life by being neutral to them. They understand it is a normal routine of life without giving it a baggage of thoughts.
1. Biological or physiological needs: These are the needs that are required to be met for a human to function optimally. The needs like food, water, sleep, sex, shelter, clothing, etc. Root chakra plays a major role in the accomplishments of these needs.
2. Safety needs: Health, Security, and finances are the sectors of life that come under this hierarchy. Education, employment, retirement plan, insurance, mediclaims, safety from injuries and accidents, social stability, etc. are the safety needs for an individual. These are important for a healthy life with a social stability. Sacral and solar plexus chakra play major role in these needs.
3. Love and Belonging: relationships, intimacy, connection, friends, family, communication, etc. needs come under this hierarchy. Need to be loved or being a loving person comes to play here. Being a part of a group or interpersonal relationships becomes a need here. Heart and Throat chakra are vital for this hierarchy.
4. Esteem: Respect, status, recognition, strength, self-esteem, etc. belong to this hierarchy. This hierarchy is basically the outcomes of the deficiency needs. From here starts the Growth needs. This is where an individual creates an identity for the self. The individual now has a belief system and philosophies that they abide to. The code of conduct and moral values concrete here. Third-eye chakra is evident here.
5. Self-actualization: This is where the individual reaches the highest potential of the self. Here, it is more about giving rather than taking in. An individual now becomes an expert without a sense of judgments or biases. Here, it is all the same in the same plane. The attitude of being neutral and non-judgmental is the achievement here. This is where the experiences of the entire life come to play along with the wisdom and knowledge acquired. Crown chakra works to accomplish these needs.
The journey from the lowest hierarchy to the highest hierarchy starts from OUTSIDE and ENDS WITHIN.
Love, Healer Mitali
– PEACE –