What's on your mind (and your body)?
Those thoughts you have in your head are constantly broadcasting within you. Who is your biggest fan and listener? Your body. Your body stores the information it receives from your emotional and mental fields and starts talking back. Your body is constantly sending you signals, whether you're paying attention or not, about what is going on in your mental and emotional life. It's time to tune in and start listening!
The Body is a Chatterbox
Our bodies are incredibly complex systems that are constantly communicating with us. From the gentle rumble of a hungry stomach to the sharp pain of a headache, every sensation is a message waiting to be decoded.
Our bodies speak to us in the language of energy. That nagging pain in your neck might be telling you to slow down and take a break. The sudden burst of creativity could be your body's way of saying it's ready for a new challenge.
Deeper health issues might be telling you about deeper energy issues you have yet to deal with. Often times, those so-called “mystery illnesses” are really old, stuck mental or emotional energies that haven’t been addressed. Having a conversation with those discomforts can unlock new opportunities to health and wellness.
Listening to Your Body
To truly understand what your body is telling you, it's essential to cultivate a practice of mindfulness. Like any good relationship, there is mutual respect and a giving and receiving aspect to all conversations. Your body doesn’t want to be treated like a burden or a problem any more than your friends do. You and your body are in it for life, so it might as well be a good friend.
Start by paying attention to your body’s sensations throughout the day. Notice the tension in your shoulders when you're stressed, or the lightness in your step when you're feeling joyful. When something is loud in your body because of pain (or just asking for attention), find time to stop and listen. Don’t just override the messages. Give those messages a voice and see what you learn.
It is important to check in with the quiet parts too. Listen to the parts you don’t often hear. Sometimes there is wisdom in that silence.
Journaling can be a helpful tool for tracking patterns and identifying recurring messages. Even just doing a body scan several times a day before transitioning to another activity can help you free up energy for the tasks at hand.
Some Codes to Your Body Metaphors
Socially, it is likely you have heard people refer to the metaphors of the body. “That guy is a pain in my neck.” “The weight of the world is on my shoulders.” But what can you really find out about your energy by listening to your body? So much! Whatever that organ, joint, or ligament does, look it up and see if you can find the metaphor. For example, if you are having symptoms of heartburn. You might be having trouble digesting something in life or something you are doing might be backfiring on you.
Here are some other examples of what your body might be screaming at you:
Thyroid Problems - “When is it my turn?!”
Pancreas - “Where is my fun and sweetness in life?!”
Eyes - “Don’t make me look, it is too hard to see.”
Knees - “I can’t trust my direction because of my past.”
Hips - “I don’t feel supported by life.”
These are just a few examples, feel free to add your own in the comments.
So, give it a try! Talk with your body. It might help you clean up your mind. They are partners for you to live your best life.
Meditations to Help Your Journey
In this healing mediation, you are guided to explore a relationship you are struggling with to enhance your self-awareness. You are guided to look deeper within in about what is irritating you about another person and what is it telling you about yourself. If you are struggling with someone else’s behavior, this is the meditation for you.
MP3 format, approximately 10 minutes long.