Our bodies are talking to us constantly. We need to listen. Listening to our body doesn’t mean unleashing every urge. That is the path to destruction. But, we need to learn to listen to what our body tells us, and most of us are too good at ignoring what our body has to say.

Relationship Quiz

How’s your relationship with your body? Are you aware of what it needs? How does it feel? Do you take care of it? Evaluate how well you think you know each part of your body. Pay attention to what it is saying. Your body knows things—listen to it.

Your Body Is Yelling

Too often, we wait for an urgent signal from our body before we listen. That urgent signal is pain. Every year, the average Canadian uses 80 pain tablets, not including prescription pain pills. That is a lot! Pain is our bodies yelling at us because we are not listening to its whispering.

Seek to Understand

Learn to listen to your body to understand what it needs. Set aside time to care for it. Pay attention to its quiet messages. When does it feel better? What situations are pain-free? What conditions create pain or discomfort? Ask yourself the questions.

Your Body Needs

Learn to anticipate what your body needs. Does it need rest, movement, fresh air? Try to give your body what it needs right now if possible. The cravings for junk food are not your body talking. That is your mind trying to abuse your body for its immediate satisfaction. Your brain gets a short high, and your body bears the cost. Your body desires what it needs. Listen to it.

Tune In

To tune into your body signal, set aside 5 minutes to focus on your body. Sit in a chair and close your eyes. Take a few slow breaths. (Breath in 4 seconds, hold for 7, and breathe out for 8 seconds). Then concentrate on each part of your body in turn. Start with the toes. How do they feel? Are they tight, tired, numb? Move to your feet. Focus on your feet for 15 seconds. Then, focus on the ankles, calves, knees, thighs, and hips. Go up your body part by part. Note what feels good, what hurts, what feels tight, and what feels loose or numb.

Solve Small Issues Sooner

Do this every day for a week. After a week of listening to your body, you will be better in tune with what it is saying. You will be able to manage small glitches before they become big, painful problems. You’ll thank yourself for this.

You Are One

After a week, do you like what your body is saying? If not, make some changes to give your body what it needs. Tuning into your body will elevate your mind and enlarge your soul. You are, after all, not just a brain but also a body and a soul. Heed your whole self.