Do we have the courage to listen to our body?

Our True Self naturally values our incredible body vehicle. It has the courage to take a break, when no one else does. To say no to something that doesn’t feel right in the gut, even if there is not yet any other visible direction to go in.

So do we have the courage, trust and patience to follow our deeper self? Our True Self is constantly sending messages through the body with unexplainable gut feelings, feelings of expansion and energy or conversely feelings of contractions and urkiness. Are we committed to honouring these? Or do we habitually override them to suit our mind’s idea of how things should be?

What is our definition of success?

This leads me to my next question which asks – what is success? Is success gaining some sort of recognition in the outer world? Holding down a job that seems pretty cool? Earning a certain amount of money? Owning a house? Being married? Or is it simply breathing in tune?

One of my new definitions of success is listening acutely to my Pure Self despite the fall out on the outside. Remember our Pure self speaks through the body. I celebrate when I pause in the middle of a long ocean swim. I celebrate when I say no to something in the outer world in order to honour my own unique rhythm and pace. The old me would have celebrated being the first swimmer back to the surf club. The new me celebrates alone, in the middle of the ocean taking in the view.

Trusting our body, may mean saying no to others

What I’m suggesting here is that we change our wins to be gauged towards our inner world and our body’s needs. This practice will build body trust. Have we slowed down enough to today to hear our Spirit talk to us through our bodily sensations? If we are serious about our own awakening and getting to know our True self, the body is the gateway. Our body needs our respect. It needs us to listen to it carefully. Actually, it is the messenger we have been looking for.

The body will show you it’s gratitude for this. It will begin to see that you are a worthy caretaker, that you are actually on the same team. It will respond by co-operating in your healing journey. This has been my direct experience.

The body’s signals

To me the body speaks in quite a simple language. When I am faced with a decision, I imagine myself doing it, then watch my body closely. If there is an expansive feeling in my gut and heart, it is my intuition saying that this is a yes. Conversely, if my gut responds with an inertia feeling or contraction, something needs to be addressed. It is either an intuitive no, or a seperate self needing some attention before it feels okay. This takes practice and body awareness. The body will trust us if we begin to work directly with it.

So what practices do you do that connect you with your body? There is no right or wrong here. It’s whatever works for you. It might be dance, yoga, meditation, body scans, walking, swimming. The key question is – are you doing it with your whole body? Is your mind slowing down enough to be in the body and feel the bodily sensations? You will notice that when you are in the body, the mind is still.

The gift of limitations

Most of us feel annoyed and inconvenienced by our body’s limitations. When it gives us no. “I hate how this illness doesn’t allow me to do _________”.

Have you ever considered that your current limitations may be a gift to lead you towards your True Self? Let’s take the example the experience of my debilitating illness. I would not have got better if I simply believed that I was a random victim to it, or continued to painfully focus on how limited that I was.

In order to turn it around, I had to stop overriding my physical limitations and pushing beyond them. I had to be real with where I was at. My body had to learn that it could trust me. In the initial stages of my last recovery I would walk a few metres, then heed the body’s messages to pause. It would take me a long time to do something, even going to the next room for example. Yet, after doing it whilst acutely honouring the body with pausing, I would actually feel better than when I started. I received the breath through the body and allowed it to move me. No pushing with the head was allowed anymore.

We all get an intuitive sense when it is time to stop something. Let’s begin to listen to this more acutely. Nowadays, it is time for me to have a pause, when my body begins to feel slightly heavier or when my nervous system begins to fragment. If I’m on a walk for example, and I notice a slight heaviness in my legs starting, I’ll stop and sit on the grass for a few minutes. I know it is time to move again when there is a lifting sensation, spacious feeling in my nervous system. What is it for you?

The bigger picture

There were many gifts on the other side of the illness and it’s limitations, and I wouldn’t be here today writing if I hadn’t have gone through the devastating and debilitating illness.

In terms of the bigger picture, I’ll attempt to list some of the gifts that I received. Starting with becoming a more whole, compassionate person; getting to know and understand my body’s signals; reconnecting with my inner child and it’s needs; getting to know my True Self and it’s nature, and with that increased self esteem and confidence; a deeper understanding of what matters in life; shifted more wholesome values; increased freedom and independence from society’s ideals and expectations; more connection with others, including all of life; heightened intuition; heightened discernment; meeting my husband.

I met my husband when I stepped out of my comfort zone to be a guest speaker at a meditation group. The topic I spoke on was “The Spiritual Opportunities of Chronic Illness.” Talking about my limitations opened the door to meeting my soulmate. This allowed him to feel safe enough to approach me, and opened the doorway to authentic deep soul to soul connection. What a gift!!

What doorways in consciousness are awaiting you through your current limitations?

For me, the limitations that came with chronic illness, opened doorways to a higher consciousness, a doorway to a newer, truer, more gentle way of being. It connected me back to my body. The limitations that I experienced showed me the way towards being a truer expression of my Pure Self.

Ironically as I started to embrace my limitations and learnt how to listen to my body’s messages and correctly interpret them, the symptoms eased off. So what door ways are available to you through your current limitations?

Will you listen to your body today? Remember your True Self talks directly through bodily symptoms, sensations and feeling tones. Spend some time and energy today getting to know how your body speaks and this practice will be your doorway to more freedoms.

This is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition