Learn to hear the whispers of the body and mind before they have to shout.”
Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter*
Our bodies are wise. They know when they are not being treated well and they try to let us know by giving us signals. Are we listening? Or do we wait until it is in so much discomfort that it has to scream for attention?
Sometimes we are so impatient to get on with life that we forget to just be still and listen to what our body is trying to tell us. Those sensations we try to ignore are messages from our body – tension, nagging aches and pains, stiffness, headaches, tummy troubles – its only method of communication.
Symptoms are messages that your body needs something to change. Learn to recognize the symptoms and what needs to be done about them. Plodding through our lives while ignoring the messages can lead to permanent injury, illness, and limitations. Listening to the wisdom that the body has to share is worth more than whatever you
might achieve while ignoring it.
While it is often easy to recognize extreme states such as pain caused by over exertion, what about the more subtle changes, or those changes that start out gradually and are easy to ignore, at least for a while? The body is constantly repairing itself, even outside of our awareness. It is possible to help the healing process by paying attention to the subtle clues and taking proactive steps to prevent further damage. Pay attention to the nagging little aches and pains before they demand attention.
Learning to recognize those messages is the first step. Tuning in to the body is not always easy with so much activity and noise in our lives. Using a technique such as meditation or deep breathing allows us to focus on our inner world while tuning out the external distractions. Maybe it’s time to just be quiet for a while and spend some time listening to what the body is trying to tell us.
Relaxation does for the mind what stretching does for the body”
Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter*
Benefits of “tuning in” to the messages your body is sending:
- Recognizing when your usual routine, such as exercise or eating habits, is no longer serving you well.
- Benefits of “tuning in” to the messages your body is sending:
- Recognizing when your usual routine, such as exercise or eating habits, is no longer serving you well.
- Realizing that some habits may have become addictions.
- Understanding which negative emotions may be connected to our ability to handle daily stress.
- Some strong feelings may be indicators that our body is not handling stress and that it needs some down time.
- Hearing what our inner critic is saying and learning ways to tell it to “shut up” by replacing negative messages with positive self-talk.
- Self-acceptance is a big factor in healing from nearly all emotional traumas.
- Establishing a sense of self-trust so that the body can know you will take care of it.
- Even when your logical mind can’t figure out what to do to solve a problem, your body knows what it needs and it will tell you if you are willing to listen.
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