Messages from your Body

     Many of our language expressions are reflections, or an understanding, that the body does send us messages, and it is when we fail to understand them, or pay attention to them, they “trip us up”, just as they did me last week. That “pain in the neck” can be a physical expression of the worry at work, that “other hand” that we look at, might be just the way to an open mindedness we need to consider, “getting off on the right foot” with a new project, or a new acquaintance is a good way to begin, “heartburn” might express an emotional need to do things differently, or even just think about things differently. “Shouldering” someone else’s burden might help them, but be sure you don’t take the whole load, lest you create “back-breaking” worry.

In other words, there is great wisdom in the body, but you have to tune your ears to listen and you eyes to see.  The messages from your body can be very subtle, unless you ignore it.  Then it is forced to have all the subtlety of a sprained ankle, caused by a totally unnecessary and clutzy spill, and all the grace of a dancing elephant.

Today, my foot is in a “boot”, and I have been instructed to stay off my feet for two weeks to heal the nasty sprain that I got last week. Reflecting over the last several days, I have realized that when my emotional “plate” is far too full, I tend not to pay very close attention to myself or my own well-being.  I am distracted by illness in the family right now, preoccupied with the random strong emotions of my loved ones, money worries, and miscellany that plagues us all from time to time.  I have realized that often, during these disturbing times, when all of my attention is elsewhere, I have a tendency to stomach ache, or more disturbing, to trip over my feet and fall. I have suddenly realized (finally), that this is a message from my body, saying “heads up, pay attention, look to yourself a bit”.

Our Western culture does not encourage us to listen to what our bodies are trying to say. Older civilizations than ours have recognized the great wisdom to found in listening to the body, and the healing of positive thinking, appreciative living, meditation, and visualization.  So listen with an open ear, a receptive heart, and a keen eye to what your body is telling you.  You will not be the worse for it.