Thursday, February 05, 2009

I wish my Body could speak louder!

A client and I were commiserating today about how we wish that our bodies could more clearly let us know when we are hurting them. If I anger my husband, hurt my children, or disappoint a friend, I will usually know by seeing and/or hearing their reactions. This will allow me to change my behavior, as I don't want to purposefully hurt anyone.

Our bodies are not so clear. Just like the Earth, we can hurt them over and over again without feeling a great cost. Yes, we might feel overfull, tired, or achy, but so what...It is so easy to ignore those sensations. We know they'll pass anyway. We know that we won't get "in trouble" as we would with a loved one.

One of my best friends is battling breast cancer. She told me that she is convinced that she got it because she didn't take care of her body for so many years. Her body has finally spoken loudly enough to be heard. She is now being incredibly loving and kind to it and we both hope and pray that she'll be able to heal.

Do you really want to wait to get sick to finally listen your body? Our bodies are constantly communicating to us, but they sound like the "still, small voice" that we so often refer to as God. Can you take the time to listen fully to that voice? It speaks with a language of sensations that you need to learn to decipher for yourself. Overfullness might actually means that your body was given too much to eat and now has to work long hours to digest. Exhaustion might mean that you are not nourishing your body enough. Achyness could imply that your body is getting sick, or that you've overworked it, or that it's tired. The body communicates through thousands of sensations every day. We can choose to listen to it or not. We can choose to complain that it's not clear enough or loud enough. I know what I want to do: I want to keep practicing listening, for not only will it make me a better listener of my body, it will make me a better listener for anyone who enters my world. My body is my teacher and I am deeply grateful.

Labels: loving your body, overeating. exhaustion.

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