The art of listening to your body

The journey starts here… the most powerful learning over the past few years has been understanding and trusting that my body will tell me everything I need to know.

Building awareness, being in tune and listening to my body has truly been the most significant change in supporting our transformation to improved health. For me it was not just about being in tune but also then taking action, being true to myself and committed to making the changes necessary to a calmer more relaxed life.

The art of ‘listening to my body’ and raising my awareness is something I now practice constantly. Always asking myself how situations, environments, people, exercise, sleep (or lack thereof) and food makes me feel.  We just have to listen.

We all have choices and if you are not happy with how you are feeling with one, some or all of the components in your life, such as exercise, eating, people, places…  then we have the power to make some changes.

Being true to how I feel and committed in my desire to make changes ensures I am aligned to my core values of Compassion, Honesty, Integrity, Trust, Loyalty, Love, Happiness and Joy.

Give it a try, ask yourself some questions.

Are your relationships making you feel happy, safe, inspired, loved, secure and respected OR do they make you feel the opposite… unhappy, anxious, stressed, insecure, angry, upset, disrespected and undervalued OR somewhere in between?

Are your food choices making you feel sluggish, bloated and sick, are you lacking energy and struggling with weight issues OR do you feel nourished, energised and satisfied?

When it comes to exercise… do you enjoy the exercise you do? Are you having fun? How does the exercise make you feel? Are you well supported in your fitness goals? Do you feel sore, inadequate, weak and injured? OR do you feel strong, flexible, vibrant, energised.

Does the environment in which you live, work and play make you happy?

Are they dark & gloomy or have artificial lighting and air conditioning?…do you get enough sunshine and fresh air during your day? Is your travel time hurried, crowded or congested? Is your home, garden or workplace cluttered, unkempt, chaotic and disorganised?

Are you in a job you like? Do you feel you are contributing and do you feel valued? Do the people you work with inspire and support each other? OR are you simply going through the motions and wishing your week away?

Here are a few little changes I made to take some control in my quest for reducing stress, removing chaos, creating my calm and living a more relaxed life.

Take the slow train

I dislike the crowded train and all that comes with it, but it’s something I have to do on a daily basis. I found that by the time I got to work I was pretty wired and not relaxed. So, a number of years ago I made a decision to change the environment… it takes me an extra 10 minutes, but I actively jump on a ‘stopping all stations’ train. Less people, less stress and I use the extra time to practice my meditations.

Take a break for self-care and eat mindfully

My day is hectic (everyone’s is right?); when I get to work it’s go go go. It’s just the nature of what I do but also the reason why I love my job so much. I feel that in order to bring my best game all day, every day, I need to switch off at times to reset. So I block out time in my calendar, taking myself away from the environment, sitting somewhere (hopefully in the sun) quietly and enjoy my lunch followed by a short walk. A very powerful but simple way to re-energise my mind and body.

Tweaking my exercise regime to manage niggles

I have always loved exercise and cannot imagine life without it. Over the years I’ve experienced a few injuries and had annoying strains and niggles from time to time. Not wanting to stop exercising it was time to make a few changes. I decided to modify and strengthen my technique, with the help of my trainer. By reducing weights/reps when needed, avoiding exercises that aggravated injury and reviewing my weekly regime, I have reduced the soreness and stress on my body whilst still reaping the benefits of regular movement.

So are you listening to your body? What questions will you ask yourself? What will your answers be and will you like what you hear? Most importantly what changes, if any, will you make?

Live your best life