Gather ’round, my friends, let’s have a listen to our animal-bodies!

Bodies say: drink. They say: pee. They say: eat. Move. Rest. Sleep…

Like I said, basic. Whew! What a relief.

The complications happen when we argue. “I don’t have time,” is probably the favorite argument. The body does NOT buy it. Not for a second. It says, “I’m hungry, can you feed me now.”

Maybe your body is telling you to rest. “Rest,” it says. So really, that is all there is to know, isn’t it? Your body is smart, so smart. It knows.

Maybe your body is telling you that it would like movement. Maybe you can especially hear your hips asking for movement, or maybe it’s your neck, or your shoulders, or your whole body all at once with one big happy (or sad, or angry…) living room, move it like it feels, dork-dance.

Were you, just then, about to argue? Something about your bum knee? (By the way, your body will never tell you to put all your weight on your bum knee. There are many ways to move. Your body is smart. It will help you.)

Maybe your body is asking for fresh air and light: a walk around the pond, maybe? A walk around the block? A run in the woods? Gosh, maybe it wants a day trip to the ocean?

Notice if you want to argue. Are you telling yourself all the reasons you can’t? Your body doesn’t buy them. Also, it won’t argue back. It will simply live the consequences of no rest, no movement, no fresh air, no ocean.

When our bodies live out the consequences of not getting the basics, it’s not about them being mean and being the enemy. No. When your body lives out a consequence, it just is what it is. Basic, remember?

Is your body telling you to pee? Are you making it wait longer than it wants? Bladders really don’t like to be kept waiting. (Excuse me, I’ll be right back!)

Is your body telling you to sleep? Do you ignore it? Do you argue with it? Do you stay up past the point of exhaustion? One way I sometimes ignore my body’s signal to sleep is by staying up watching just another (as if!) episode of whatever, when really my body would love to be sleeping.

If you find yourself wanting to argue, pause instead. No need to argue with the argument, either. Pause. Take a breath. Take another… After pausing it is often easier to give your body what it wants. If there is one thing I know about you it is that you are creative. You and your body, together, will know how to give it what it wants. Also, you want to take good care of you. I know you do. And for SURE I know that you’re doing your best. I love that about you.

Your body will always show you first things first, one thing at a time. Bodies are always about now.

You and your body: how wonderful that you have each other! No one else in the world got paired up with you. No one! Lucky ducks, you and your body.

Take good care of each other.

xo
Heidi

The post You and your body, getting friendly appeared first on Heidi's Table.