“And I said to my body softly, “I want to be your friend.” It took a long breath and replied, I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.” Nayyirah Waheed.
For the longest time, I looked after my body “by the book”. Every day I walked a certain number of steps, I ate carbs or no carbs, I juiced, I starved, and I religiously read everything I could get my hands on about health and well-being. I tried desperately to be a good friend a good boss, mother and wife.
My work ethic was second to none, you could always count on me. Yet I often felt as though I was at war with my body, my body wasn’t strong enough, thin enough or plainly just didn’t work as it should.
Maybe some of this sounds familiar to you. Maybe you are working to the point of exhaustion, exercising through pain or berating yourself for feeling anxious and sick.
But here’s the thing none of this is your body's fault.
You may not know it yet but your body is speaking to you all the time every day. It is constantly telling you what it needs to be happy healthy, content and comfortable. The problem is that we have grown up in a world that has taught us to ignore our innate wisdom.
Society has taught us that we cannot trust our bodies to guide us, even if we are able to tune into what we know is right for us. Well-meaning family and friends may tell you that you are wrong and so more often than not we conform to fit in.
Believing that because so many of your friends are struggling with the same wellness issues you are.
But what if you decide to stop living “by the book” and start listening to the innate wisdom of your body? What if you could trust that your body has deep wisdom and will always be trying to look for ways to heal itself and keep you healthy and strong?
How to listen to your body
Love and respect it.
My first Reflexology session begins with a conversation about why the person has come to see me and what is it they want help with, together we go through my intake form.
All the while I am listening to the language they use to describe themselves and what is going on in their lives. If they are berating themselves with the language they use to describe themselves they risk putting their bodies into a sympathetic state of “fight or flight.”
More often than not people are unaware that they are doing it until you point it out to them. Changing the way we talk about ourselves is not creating a false positivity when we are in pain but if done gently can be an act of self-compassion.
Pay attention to how you speak about yourself and try practising some self-compassion it can calm your heart rate and take you out of fight-flight more.
Moving from fighting your body to having loving respect for your body will make it easier to listen to the messages your body wants to share with you.
Take a moment to focus on your body and become aware of the sensations within.
There are many ways to do this try this on sit comfortably and take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. Where feels tight, uncomfortable, painful or relaxed? Feel into these areas can you feel what they are trying to tell you? You may be surprised at what you learn.
I have spent many years learning to tune into my own body this in turn has allowed me the gift of being able to do this for my Reflexology clients. (You don’t need to spend years doing this a little practice and trust will allow you to access your own bodily knowledge.)
Learning to trust your own body's wisdom will help you to stop living “by the book.” and be in tune with your innate needs.
Do you need to start speaking up for yourself?
Do you need to move more?
Do you need to eat more whole foods?
Do you need to leave work on time?
Do you need to schedule a Reflexology appointment?
Do you need more help at home?
Most of my clients don’t first come to see me because they are struggling to get in tune with their body's needs, but as they progress through their Reflexology sessions they begin to feel better. Learning to listen to their body becomes part of the healing process.
If this all resonates with you but you feel too overwhelmed and unsupported to even begin making these changes. A reflexology appointment with Helen at Reflexology Norwich may be what you need to make the changes.
Comments