Our bodies are always sending us messages. Something that starts as a small niggle or pain, something that doesn’t feel quite in check is your body’s way of communicating with you that things aren’t all right. 

A few ways I’ve learned to listen to my body are by how foods and drinks affect me. I know that caffeine can give me a bit of a high, if I have more than one cup I will crash after and feel very thirsty. 

For years my body was screaming at me that it wasn’t okay. What started as some small stomach upsets and occasional digestive issues turned into uncontrollable diarrhoea. I also realised that meat and dairy products were making me feel sluggish and heavy, so I am now vegan (for other reasons too), but this was quite a shift from the girl who was a self-proclaimed carnivore and would eat canned sardines and biltong as snacks!

Learning to read my body’s signs and signals has been a gift, and stopping and slowing down, not just reacting, has been key to this listening. 

I of course still have days when I do the opposite of what my body needs, but that’s okay! I learn again and remember to pay more attention as when I don’t listen to my body, I usually don’t feel so good later.

There is so much wisdom in our bodies.

We can learn so much from them.

They speak to us in whispers, only heard by those that really listen.

If you don’t hear them, they get louder and louder,

And if you ignore them, they will scream at you.

Pay attention.

Listen.

That’s all you ever have to do.

Listen.

Those tingles, tweaks, aches – they’re sending you a message.

Listen.

When you do, all will be well.

Life will become magical.

You’ll have a partnership unlike any relationship you’ve ever experienced.

Sometimes I close my eyes and feel into the different parts of my body then write the messages that come up:

Listen to me.

Feel me.

Hear me.

I need release.

I need you to listen.

If you don’t, I will find ways to reach you.

All you ever need or want is inside.

Take moments of quiet and stillness,

Then you’ll hear my whispers.

I will always keep you informed.

I want us to be best friends.

I want us to do this journey together.

If you listen to your body, really get to know it as you would a close friend, you’ll start to see that certain types of movement/exercise work better for you at different times. Sometimes you need hearty, warming meals whilst at other times a fresh salad is what you really want. 

Living on autopilot doing what we think we should do, and not really checking in regularly to see what we need, is not living in balance and harmony with ourselves.  

Give it a go, listen to your body. What does it need today? Or even this week?

This blog post is a snippet from my book, Embodied. You can get your own copy of Embodied here or anywhere you buy your books online.

Photo by JR Korpa on Unsplash.