Dear Soul Sisters,
As I age I feel like there is always something "wrong" with my body. Some pain, some weakness, some obstacle to overcome. Am I ever going to feel completely healthy again?
Dear Aching Body:
Thanks so much for your question. We’re sorry you are having aches and pains. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, your body - today, now and always - is a beautiful temple for your soul. We’d like to remind you that what you think about you create and a healthy mind = a healthy body. Keep your thoughts positive and focused on health, not illness. While you may experience hurt, discomfort and symptoms of disharmony, calling these "wrong" and attaching terms like "weakness" and "obstacles" might not be the best thing for you and your healing. It sounds like you are frustrated with your Earth-suit and therefore, being a bit hard on it as a result.
To get the self-love flowing, we'd suggest spending some quiet, gentle time alone with your body. Draw a hot bath. Sprinkle in sea-salt crystals and drops of lavender oil. Rub the oil across your skin, thank your body for carrying you around, day in and day out, and notice its beauty. Tell those parts of your body that aren't feeling 100% that you love and appreciate them as they are. While you might have to fake it ‘til you make it at first, eventually you will feel it. Healing expert Louise Hay says it best, "Love is always the answer to healing of any sort."
For specific ailments, we always turn to Louise’s book, You Can Heal Your Life. It explores the possible metaphysical causes of physical symptoms and provides a corresponding affirmation to help you overcome the mental block and subsequently the physical condition that accompanies it. As you work with your body in this way, you may become more aware of its cues and messages. Listening to your body is a powerful tool. Are you pushing it beyond its limits? Are you giving it what it needs to be strong and healthy?
Notice what foods make your body come alive and which foods make you feel heavy, nauseous and lethargic and avoid them. Are you getting enough sleep? Do you wake up feeling rested and energetic or like you need a few hours more sleep? If the latter, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you find you are waking up feeling great. This is your natural bedtime. Shoot for going to bed at this time more often than not.
Start drinking lots of water. Water flushes out toxins and provides the basic stuff of which our bodies are made. Experts recommend drinking at least eight to nine 8-oz. glasses of water per day. Get a portable water bottle to keep hydrated on the go!
Notice what foods make your body come alive and which foods make you feel heavy, nauseous and lethargic and avoid them. Are you getting enough sleep? Do you wake up feeling rested and energetic or like you need a few hours more sleep? If the latter, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you find you are waking up feeling great. This is your natural bedtime. Shoot for going to bed at this time more often than not.
Start drinking lots of water. Water flushes out toxins and provides the basic stuff of which our bodies are made. Experts recommend drinking at least eight to nine 8-oz. glasses of water per day. Get a portable water bottle to keep hydrated on the go!
If you haven’t had one recently, we’d suggest booking an appointment for your annual checkup. It’s always a great idea to ensure everything is in good working order. Once you get the clean bill of health, you’re ready to start working towards YOUR optimal health.
Sometimes an injury or pain comes to alert us to an issue that is "clearing" from our lives: an old way of being, an identity that no longer serves us. Sometimes it arises to slow us down, to stop us what we are doing. If an activity is causing you pain and injury, take a break from it. Otherwise, as Dr. Dean Ornish says, "It's like mopping up the floor without shutting off the water."
On that note, we’d recommend a visit to a naturopathic doctor for a holistic approach to your healing. Unlike an MD, a naturopath will look not just at what is wrong with you, but what is right and what could be made better by some fine-tuning. We'd suggest you ask for a full blood work-up including allergy testing and vitamin counts to make sure you're getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. You would be surprised how many of us are not getting the basics for optimal health. Your naturopath can recommend the right diet for you and come up with a supplement plan that meets your body’s needs right now.
Next up is exercise. As long as you’ve been cleared by your doctors, it’s a great idea to get moving! If you are not currently exercising at all, get started yesterday! Begin slowly, with 10 minutes a day of walking or light yoga, and increase as you feel able and motivated. But do something everyday to get your body moving and yourself in the habit. Soon you’ll love the way you feel and miss it if you skip a day! Getting blood pumping through your system, fluid lubricating your joints and fresh air in your lungs, moves the toxins out and the good stuff in.
If you already have a strong exercise program, maybe now is the time to mix it up a bit, try something new, expand your horizons. We find we feel best when we incorporate exercises from all three categories: strength, cardio and flexibility. Been a long time runner? Try biking. Hooked on lifting weights? Incorporate yoga into your routine. If you have specific injuries that are healing, ask your doctor about swimming. It’s the one exercise that is great for most bodies regardless of fitness and limitations. Look for an aqua-aerobics class to take it up a notch and make it social and fun!
And finally, on aging. Getting older is indeed a time when we need to remember to go with the flow, embrace the changes that are happening in our bodies and yes, even the new ways in which we are able to be strong. You might not feel like you did at 16 ever again but focusing on that is only giving energy to what’s wrong with what is. Accepting and LOVING the perfection of the process is the express lane to peace! We like how Mark Twain put it, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”
Sometimes an injury or pain comes to alert us to an issue that is "clearing" from our lives: an old way of being, an identity that no longer serves us. Sometimes it arises to slow us down, to stop us what we are doing. If an activity is causing you pain and injury, take a break from it. Otherwise, as Dr. Dean Ornish says, "It's like mopping up the floor without shutting off the water."
On that note, we’d recommend a visit to a naturopathic doctor for a holistic approach to your healing. Unlike an MD, a naturopath will look not just at what is wrong with you, but what is right and what could be made better by some fine-tuning. We'd suggest you ask for a full blood work-up including allergy testing and vitamin counts to make sure you're getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. You would be surprised how many of us are not getting the basics for optimal health. Your naturopath can recommend the right diet for you and come up with a supplement plan that meets your body’s needs right now.
Next up is exercise. As long as you’ve been cleared by your doctors, it’s a great idea to get moving! If you are not currently exercising at all, get started yesterday! Begin slowly, with 10 minutes a day of walking or light yoga, and increase as you feel able and motivated. But do something everyday to get your body moving and yourself in the habit. Soon you’ll love the way you feel and miss it if you skip a day! Getting blood pumping through your system, fluid lubricating your joints and fresh air in your lungs, moves the toxins out and the good stuff in.
If you already have a strong exercise program, maybe now is the time to mix it up a bit, try something new, expand your horizons. We find we feel best when we incorporate exercises from all three categories: strength, cardio and flexibility. Been a long time runner? Try biking. Hooked on lifting weights? Incorporate yoga into your routine. If you have specific injuries that are healing, ask your doctor about swimming. It’s the one exercise that is great for most bodies regardless of fitness and limitations. Look for an aqua-aerobics class to take it up a notch and make it social and fun!
And finally, on aging. Getting older is indeed a time when we need to remember to go with the flow, embrace the changes that are happening in our bodies and yes, even the new ways in which we are able to be strong. You might not feel like you did at 16 ever again but focusing on that is only giving energy to what’s wrong with what is. Accepting and LOVING the perfection of the process is the express lane to peace! We like how Mark Twain put it, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”
Be still and know you are perfect just as you are!
Peace, oneness, love and light to you,
Jennifer & Lara
Jennifer & Lara
A friend of mine at Unity experienced a great deal of pain from arthritis. He is 84 and fully alive. He's a chaplain and has an active prayer/meditation practice. What he expressed to me about pain was that: "As soon as I said "Thank You to God" for the pain, the pain was no longer a focus. The focus became what am I to learn from the pain." That is not to say that his pain went away, but the focus was different and how he experienced the pain was completely different. Thank you for sharing your wonderful insights.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Sherry
Thanks Sherry! And thanks for sharing your friend's experience. It's amazing how changing our focus can change our lives. A great insight! Peace, Oneness, Light and Love to you!
ReplyDelete