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Archive | December, 2018

Listening to Our Body

Listening to Our Body
Listening to Our Body: The Art of Being Human

Listening to our body is a vital skill that we develop over a lifetime. We awaken to the subtle cues within us as we mature and we make better decisions about our health.

Ultimately, the decisions we make about our health significantly impact our quality of life and our longevity. Listening with an ear of love and respect will make health a fun, joyful, and important endeavor throughout life.

Understand more from listening

For instance, learning to listen to our body provides immediate benefits including: Firstly, we gain the value of knowing how to interpret the information, Secondly, we prevent illness and respond at the onset, Thirdly, we provide our own unique self-care, Fourthly, we understand our body’s signals, and finally, we practice prevention and because of it, we create ideal health.

Undoubtedly, “listening to our body” is an inward skill that most folks don’t take the time to develop before illness occurs. The immediate value of this awareness is often not seen until it is too, late.

Therefore, grab a notebook and let’s explore the value now so you can decide what’s right for you. You will likely have questions of your own. Please post them below or feel free to e-mail me directly at E-mail.

Start where you are:

Most of us range in our body awareness somewhere between fear (disease obsession) and denial (I’m fine or it won’t happen to me) and therefore, most of us are somewhere on that continuum. As a result few live in the middle ground.  Therefore, have a sense of your overall health and learn to listen to your body to prevent disease and for the best health possible. In conclusion, every human being has to interpret the information we get from listening to our body accurately because we can make good health decisions when we do.

Learn the Language of Your Body

Unfortunately, we are not taught to listen to information that our body gives us we risk our health. Because our body speaks to us with feedback for our health and well being, above all we need to hear. Some learn this early in life, others grow into this intimate dialogue. In conclusion, your language is unique to your body.

Why listen?

For example, have you ever ignored a baby that was hungry or wet? How long could you listen to it scream before you needed to respond? Our bodies are like screaming babies sometimes. Naturally, we want to soothe the discomfort. Ultimately, we give ourselves what we need. However, sometimes we ignore the cries for too long and we create imbalance.

We are constantly getting cues and clues as to what is happening inside of us, but we are often moving too fast to interpret this important language. Imagine if you were listening however and could hear exactly what your body needed. How would you feel after all, if you could self-assess and know how to heal your own pain, upset, emotion and stress? You can!

A great conversation, if you listen

Are you in conversation with your body! What is it saying?

If it is in pain it will let you know. If you are not using the bathroom regularly, it is letting you know that something is not balanced. If you have fever, your body is alerting you to an infection. If you are dizzy or lethargic, you could have low blood sugar or be dehydrated.

In conclusion, here are so many cues and ways your body is communicating if you would learn to listen. Because you are a miraculous living organism of synapses and processes, you deserve to hear and understand.

We have to learn to interpret what the body is saying.

To better understand the cues and messages your body is sending, click here to schedule a consultation with renowned spa owner, Darci Frankel and her amazing team, and begin your journey to health and wellness.

At every step of the way, the body gives us information.
As a result as soon as we start to listen, we can begin to heal, change, or grow.

For instance, in July of 1984, Jim Fixx, an avid runner and author, sadly, died of a heart attack. People were shocked. They exclaimed, “he was perfectly healthy!”

Actually, he was not!

Because Jim’s arteries for example, were (in the process of) clogging for years. In fact, three of the main arteries to his heart were seriously clogged; shockingly, one was 95% blocked, the second 85% blocked, and the third was 70% blocked, so a heart attack was not so far off. In conclusion, and with great respect to Jim and his family, there were most probably signs!

In conclusion, had he been more adept at listening to his body, treatment may have been possible. Alternately, exercise and eating well are not always a guarantee of health. Therefore, we must listen more adeptly.

Great health begins with good listening

Luckily, no one goes from perfect health to terminal disease overnight. Disease is progressive and most can be prevented when we listen to the body’s cues and unique language. Above all, we need to interpret the body’s subtle sounds and whispers. Alternatively, sometimes we need a professional to diagnose what we could not hear.

Listening for solutions

However, if Mr. Fixx slowed down and tuned in to his needs, he may have realized that his body was communicating. As a result, he may have changed his diet to decrease inflammation. For instance, he may have used meditation or yoga to decrease stress.

In addition, studies show that inflammation and ‘bad’ fats are the cause of arteriosclerosis.  

After all, you know your body. You know what it feels like to feel good, and when you just feel off in some way. Have a “go to” plan that brings you to your center.

Hearing from wholeness

Similarly, when something feels off to me, I remember what our old friend Smokey The Bear used to say: “Stop, drop and roll.” Especially, because I sense pain in my body, I literally stop, drop and roll: I stop and become aware of what is hurting or out of alignment. For instance, I drop any expectation and relax, not trying to figure out what’s wrong. In other words, I give myself what is needed, even a few minutes to roll on an exercise ball to stretch and work out any knots.

Because, once I am relaxed, for instance, I can assess and respond: Perhaps I need water or a snack. Perhaps a massage is what is needed. A nap, whatever, may be appropriate. Alternatively, some exercise or longer stretch will do the trick. In conclusion, I do what I must to hear more clearly. As a result, I take responsible, appropriate action.

Ultimately, we know what we need. We must slow down, take time to give ourselves the necessary attention. Ask for help from appropriate practitioners and naturopaths, and envision our ideal health as we journey towards it. Health is a state of mind, a state of being in the body, and a respectful alignment between the two.

Check in with yourself regularly

 Next time you have an ache or pain, take pause, and a few breaths to center yourself. Take an honest look at what is really happening inside. Give it to yourself.

For example, you can’t know everything going on inside of you at all times. However, you can learn to listen better all the time.

Therefore, my friend, Deepak Chopra would take this moment to remind us of the tens of thousands of bodily functions going on: For instance, the heart is beating, the nerve synapses are firing, the gallbladder is secreting bile, while the arteries are all pumping blood, the temperature is being regulated and listening to our body, knowing this is all happening, lets us honor the micro changes in the environment through the senses.

In other words, the awareness of the miracle of the human body and our awe of it being in good working order therefore, is a great place to begin to hear what is being communicated. What cannot be heard can be explored through routine health exams, blood tests, hormone panels, and therapeutic/natural health care. In conclusion, there are no excuses for not hearing our bodies.

3 valuable life lessons:

  • Firstly, listening to my body is important
  • Secondly, doctors aren’t G-ds
  • Finally, medicine has limits.

Recently, I listened to my body. Here is what I heard. What are you hearing?

The other day I took a dip in the ocean and I loved it! I felt amazing and I was happy the whole day. The next day, I felt unusual pressure with an uncomfortable sensation on the side of my neck. Luckily, I paused and took notice because I’d never felt that before. So, I rubbed the area a bit and felt I needed some water.

I needed something; some kind of self-care, for instance: I went for a walk while taking deep breaths as I did. Although subtle, something was still off. However, I felt vulnerable and a bit feverish, as a result, I noticed that my mind became a little agitated; jumping from topic to topic.

Eventually, as I walked and did some movements to align my neck, something clicked into place. However, a few hours later, I felt throbbing in my left ear. Finally, I remembered water getting in that ear the day before.

Intuitively, and together with this information, I deduced:

It is the start of an ear infection! “Let me nip this in the bud! “

After that, I put peroxide in my ear and some essential oils BEHIND it on the mastoid bone I was able to ward off infection. (NEVER put essential oils in the ear).  It worked! Luckily, the pain went away and I am better today because listening to the subtle cues of our bodies saves time and money, and prevents pain and illness!

In conclusion, because I listened to my inner guidance and took the time to hear what was being said, a major medical malady was averted.

Ultimately, if you listen, your organism will communicate with you.

Develop your inner intelligence in 4 steps:

  1. Clean up your doorways of perception with a daily routine: Consider using a neti pot to clear head & sinus, Meditate, and eat a clean organic/free range diet, hydrate, avoid sugar, etc.
  2. Listen to subtle cues in your physiology. Listen and respond. Your inner intelligence rewards and acknowledges you with information.
  3. Pause and listen deeply when something feels misaligned
  4. Practice moderation in all that you eat, think, and do

Grab your notebook and let’s take 3 minutes to do this listening practice.

Meditation to Practice Listening (9 min)  https://hanaleidayspa.com/meditation-1/

Let’s take it to the next level!

Self-Care Questions to ask

  1. Do I need to rest and honor my body or push myself harder?
  2. Am I getting the suggested 7-9 hours of sleep daily?
  3. Would more or less exercise make my body feel better?
  4. How is my appetite? Am I hungry, or thirsty? Am I fueling my body?
  5. Do I know and honor my limits?
  6. Am I hungry, angry, lonely, tired? (H.A.L.T) Inquire. Listen. Respond.
  7. When you hurt yourself stop immediately. Assess. Ice. Rest. Elevate. Compression. Follow up with a doctor.
  8. Stop immediately. Assess. Ice. Rest. Elevate. Compression. Follow up with a doctor.
  9. How is my mood? Allow yourself to feel the emotion.
  10. Can I focus my attention on what is in front of me? Address your distractions.
  11. Am I sore, injured, or, is what I feel signs of natural aging? We need to keep active and learn to accept aging?

In conclusion, if you liked this, you will love:
10 Keys to BEING Seriously Healthy

and

DIY Hanalei Day Spa

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