Beyond the current headlines about the obesity epidemic in America and belly-blasting foods you should eat, do you ever wish you could cut to the chase and focus on your own core health issues from a slightly different angle?

I’d love to offer you a way to look at your own health through Numerology, an “off the beaten path” approach.

There are many numbers that make up your Numerological chart, and yet if you only learn one, your Life Path number is the one to know. This number indicates your life’s purpose, while also providing you with some great information about the constructive and destructive qualities that you might work with along the way.

Are you game to find out your own Life Path number?

Here we go – get out your pen and paper:

Write down your birth date.

We’ll use September 4, 1988 as an example.

So that’s 9/4/1988

Add like this:

September = 9 (September is the 9th month)

4 = 4

1988 = 1 + 9 + 8 + 8 = 26

The key to numerology is that you always reduce to a one-digit number So here we must keep adding until we get to a one-digit number.

2 + 6 = 8

Now add month/day/year together:  9 + 4 + 8 = 21

Keep adding:  2 + 1 = 3

This person has a Life Path number 3

*A note: If you get a 10, 20, 30, you still digit down. So 10 is 1 + 0 = 1 and so on. You also must make sure and use the whole year, not just the last two digits of the year. It’s not like writing a check! You must use the entire 4-digit year for your results to be correct.

NOW. Let’s look at a very brief description of how you might think about your health according to your Life Path number. Note: When I mention the core emotional issue, I’m pointing to the more destructive tendencies you might experience that might eventually lead to health problems.

1 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about being #1. You’re independent and a born leader. Your Mantra: “I march to the beat of my own unique drummer.”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Struggling with self confidence. Stress. You can become cynical and overbearing. You can be a workaholic.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Shoulders, knees, insomnia, addictions, blood pressure, heart, liver.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: Be aware of addictive tendencies. The 1 Life Path is a thinker, so it’s hard to turn your brain off. Therefore alcohol or other addictive substances can feel especially soothing to you. You’d benefit from added cardio exercise. A key: relaxation! Get into a routine with yoga/meditation, massage.

2 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about balance and harmony. You’re emotionally sensitive. You live to give and receive love. Your Mantra: “I want you to want me!”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Feeling everything deeply. You take things to heart. On the flipside, you can become overly aggressive and self-centered in your communication.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Depression (sadness), hypertension, joint pains, headaches, stomach issues, heart problems, overwhelming insecurity.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: You benefit from Group Therapy (get it out!) or engaging in friendships where you can deeply express your feelings. You thrive in group activities (hiking, classes, and so on) because you’re all about service to group dynamics. A key: breathing exercises for relaxation.

3 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about emotional self expression, communication, and creativity. Your Mantra can be borrowed by The Who: “See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.”

THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Under or over-expressing your overflowing emotions. You need to be heard! You can become emotionally damaged.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Weight control, throat issues, intestinal tract issues.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: You need consistent exercise for metabolism and stress reduction. Be aware of your intestinal tract. You might consider using a probiotic for good intestinal health. Cultivate healthy outlets for your emotions. Keep a journal! Learn to express yourself in healthy ways. Cultivate healthy emotional detachment. Anything that keys into verbal or written expression is perfect for you. Limit alcohol.

4 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about stability and security. Your Mantra: “Slow and steady wins the race.”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Rigidity. You can become stubborn and rigid, both physically and emotionally.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Joint pain, lower back problems, weight issues, intestinal distress, migraines, depression.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: You need consistent cardiovascular exercise for metabolism and for stress reduction. You benefit from a lighter diet. You thrive in nature, so any time spent with your “feet in the dirt” is relaxing for you. A key: Yoga and stretching are mandatory. You would benefit from counseling surrounding childhood issues.

5 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about freedom, fearlessness, and adventure. Your Mantra: “Don’t fence me in!”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: You can become overly-emotional and scattered. Or on the flipside, you can become the fearful “anti-adventurer.” You need your space!
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Adrenal burnout, joint pain (especially knees and TMJ), addictions, emotional issues.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: Any light routine that keeps you focused and healthy is great for you. That includes regular exercise, meals, hydration (drink plenty of water – you can get dehydrated easily). Be aware of a propensity toward addictions so that you don’t succumb to letting an addiction govern your life. A key: light routine to keep you focused and finding ways to express your emotions in a healthy way without being a Drama Queen or King!

6 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about responsibility and nurturing. You’re a visionary; you see the bigger picture. Your Mantra: “The world is perfect in its imperfection.”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Self-righteousness and perfectionism. You can become a control-freak.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Can experience weight issues – you often feel you carry the “weight of the world” and so that can become your physical reality; or alternately, you can over-focus on creating the “perfect” body. Also breast and/or reproductive health issues, accidents, migraines.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: Understand that you’re super-responsible, unless you’re working with the opposite end of your Life’s purpose. This can lead to over-nurturing and meddling. Practice healthy emotional detachment. Learn your personal boundaries and act on them. Let other people live their own life and you live yours. Limit sweets and dairy.

7 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about seeking the truth about the meaning of life. Your Mantra: “If we’re spiritual beings going through a human experience – prove it!”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Fear of being vulnerable. You’re here to develop trust and openness, so this will be a consistent issue for you. You need space and time alone.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Depression, addictions, insomnia, headaches.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: You’re highly analytical and also highly intuitive. Meditation is imperative for you. Time in nature sooths your overly-active mind. If you can live near water, or simply interact with water (a bath, a hot tub, a swimming pool, or even a CD with water sounds to help you fall asleep). You do best with “clean” food – at minimal, non-processed food.

8 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about financial abundance, power, and authority. Your Mantra: “Money equals freedom.”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: Aggression. You can become controlling and opinionated. You tend to be a workaholic.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Blood pressure, heart issues, stress-related illness.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: Laugh more! Dancing, comedy movies, a funny book. Anything that gets you out of your head and into the moment with some lightness and humor is great for you since you often are so hard-driving you don’t take the down-time. If you’re open to therapy, that would be good for you to get a more balanced view of yourself.

9 Life Path:

WHO YOU ARE: You’re all about giving to humanity. You experience a lot of loss in your life. Your Mantra: “It’s better to give than to receive.”
THE CORE EMOTIONAL ISSUE: You can become overly responsible and enabling to those around you. You experience a lot of deep family issues.
WHERE YOU FEEL IT: Shoulders and neck, heart issues, autoimmune issues.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: You need yoga for strength and flexibility. You will benefit from consistent massage and/or energy work for stress reduction. You literally feel as though the world rests on your shoulders, so the shoulders and neck need TLC. You would benefit by learning to ask for help and support when you need it. You rarely (if ever!) seek assistance.

Felicia Bender, Ph.D. is not a medical doctor. The information presented is provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, examination, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on any such information is solely at your own risk.