Listen to Your Body Your body temple houses your mind and spirit, and incredible intelligence. When you trust this body wisdom and really listen to what your body is trying to tell you, you are guided to what you really need and want. You are guided to wellness and well-being. – Karen Whitaker, manifestwisdom.com I have learned to trust the wisdom of my body, I really have. When my mind is going crazy wondering about this, that or the other thing, I know I can rely on the truth within my body. So, why don’t I always listen to it? Why don’t we all? Back in 1997, when I first quit my full time job to take a more creative career path, my low back was killing me. I went to a chiropractor for the first time in my life. Dr. Steve gave me about three adjustments and highly recommended I get into yoga, which I did. Hatha yoga, twice a week, for quite some time. My back pain virtually disappeared. I even asked my yoga teacher to come to my house and develop a yoga series I could do at home. I still have those instruction sheets. And my yoga mat. Then I got divorced, moved up to Lake Oswego, started a whole new life, and drifted away from yoga. My partner, whom I live with, is a licensed massage therapist, well versed in shiatsu massage. Trust me, this is an enormous benefit for my back and every other part of my body. All the same, several months ago, my body started begging me to get back to yoga. After getting the same internal message over and over, I finally called a yoga teacher I know and it turned out she needed voice lessons. For a few weeks we got together regularly and did 45 minutes of yoga, and then 45 minutes of voice. Brilliant, simply brilliant. I would love to team up with Lisa, or a yoga teacher like her, and offer a class with that format. It worked out beautifully for both of us. Then she moved, our schedules changed, and we weren’t meeting anymore. What did I do? I stopped doing yoga…other than a few downward dogs and life nerve stretches here and there when my back was really bothering me. Fast forward to just a few weeks ago when I met with the business coach who helped formulate my last 90 day business plan. We were sitting outside on the patio at a McMenamins, my back was still bothering me, and our conversation drifted to personal and spiritual growth matters. He happened to mention a favorite spiritual counselor (Rebecca Singer, shamanicenergy.com) trained in the Lakota Sioux shamanic method, who happened to be in town from upstate New York…and happened to have an appointment available at New Renaissance that very weekend. By the time I got to the store on Sunday she was completely booked, but when I called there was a half hour appointment available. Guess what one of the first things she said to me was? “Do you do yoga? You should really be doing yoga.” I give! I give! Uncle! I bought two Gaiam Rodney Yee yoga DVDs before I left the store. I have been doing yoga right at home, 15-20 minutes, three days a week, ever since. With that small time investment, the benefits to my body have been huge. And I feel better energetically. In addition, I got the sense my Monday voice student would benefit greatly from yoga – so I mentioned it to her in her last lesson. Turns out her body had been craving yoga as well – and she already has her Rodney Yee DVDs and yoga mat at home! We stretched before the lesson and, once again, it was a great way to start. I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to yoga. Your turn…what wisdom is your body sharing with you that your mind needs to hear and you need to act on? Let me know what you discover. People need all the encouragement they can get to listen to their bodies. Because that means we are more connected to earth. And the more connected to earth through our bodies, the better for all beings. –Rebecca Singer Authentically Yours, Laura
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