Listen to Your Body - Pay Attention So You Can Hear

Pay attention so you can hear. Some would say it is an art as much as it is a science. Merriam-Webster defines listen as such: To pay attention to someone or something in order to hear what is being said, sung, played, etc. If you took time to listen to your body, your mind would trigger you to make better choices.

Body listens to mind; mind listens to body. Awareness is the link. Make no mistake: Every cell knows when you are unhappy, anxious or stressed. A cell's awareness is expressed in chemical reactions instead of words. No matter. The message comes through loud and clear~ Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Triggers We Often Ignore

• Your stomach starts growling after you eat something that doesn’t agree with your body. Do you eat more or do you push the plate away?
• You start to experience a sore throat, headache and runny noise. Do you let it ride or do you go for the over-the-counter cold remedy Airborne?
• You experience an energy drain and hit the midday wall at work. Do you get up from your desk and get some fresh air and water or doze-off at your desk?
• More than once, you feel a sharp pain in the knee while you are out jogging. Do you stop and schedule time to see a physician?

You have been there and I have been there before - your mind tells you to pay attention to your body. Sometimes you listen and sometimes you don’t, but, at what cost?

I was a casualty of not listening to my body. There was a time when I was driven to get back in what I called “fighting shape.” I secured the services of a personal trainer and set goals like I was a teenager again. And, I told my trainer to turn it up and don’t let me whine my way out of any exercises or reps. Over the course of several months, I felt the pain in my knee, my instincts whispered "not good" but I ignored it. I never mentioned it to anyone. One day I was out with my trainer doing sprint-jog drills. In an instant I let out an immense shrill as the pain went through my knee like someone drove a hot stake through it.

My surgery went well so did my recovery. Yes, I learned to listen to my body. When the body and mind work in harmony this synergy can serve to protect and redirect us.

How to Listen to Your Body

Listen to your body. Rather than ignore the sounds and physical messages from the body, take note of when you are feeling well as means of sharpening your instincts to recognize when something is off. Your body wants to be well. You want to enjoy good health and wellbeing. It is all part of your journey of marching towards living a blissful life.

Listen to your body; start with the ABCs:

• Appreciate your wellbeing. Recognize when you are feeling well.
• Be attentive to self. Heed quiet and loud sounds.
• Check your discomfort. Do not ignore or push through pain.
• Detect inner fuel. Sense energy and mood changes.
• Exercise regularly. Commit to physical fitness.

Our own physical body possesses a wisdom, which we who inhabit the body lack. We give it orders, which make no sense. ~ Henry Miller

Do you pay attention to others when they are talking, singing or making other sounds? Do you pay attention to your body when it is making noises, exhibiting signs or symptoms of any kind?