Decipher the Messages from the Physical Body

For me, this past week was one of being over-scheduled and over-loaded. I knew it before the week started, but gritted my teeth, got as organized as I could, and proceeded down the path of making my way through the week. Yes, I do preach about self-care, balance and being loving to ourselves. And yet, there are those times when I realize that somewhere in the process I lost control over the “balance” part of all of this. And it is precisely when I am in this predicament that I need to be most aware. I hadn’t planned it. Things just lined up all in one week and I figured I would be fine; I just had to get through the week and all the events in a good way. Yet, if there is one thing I have discovered, it is that once we know and ignore, the backlash can be quick and harsh. Wednesday morning as I leaned over to put on my sock, I felt the shift in my back. You know - that feeling that if you move just slightly your back might really stop working for you and give out. Yes, I felt my back give me the message, “You have loaded me down too much. I am giving you fair warning.”

I proceeded to work. I moved carefully. I sauntered slowly. I walked deliberately. I was aware of my body and what it needed. I carried less. I harried less. I accomplished less.  I sat in my sessions with my clients being present and aware of all the complexities of the moments. I was very aware. I made conscious decisions about where my effort would go. I came home at the end of the day and rested my back, my body, my mind, and my soul.

My back was on the mend the next day. But I wanted to remember the message in it for me.  Carry less, move slower, be deliberate in my choices.  I had placed too much of a load on myself and my back reminded me of this.  Our phyiscal body can often give us messages that relate back to our emotional health, so take the time to pay attention. Look for the symbolism in what is happening in your body and how it ties in to where you are emotionally. It’s not to say that the physical is an emotional issue – it is to say that if we ignore the emotional issues, the energy often ends up in our body causing a physical issue. So use the physical problems as a chance to look at what you need to address on an emotional level. Through the process you can learn more about yourself and be holistic in your self-care, taking care of your mind, body and soul.