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A basic principle of energy medicine is that our bodies are always talking to us. Our bodies are highly complex, divinely designed, and they want to support us in all that we do. So, today, why not pay attention to what it’s saying to you?
Ever wonder why headaches or jitters flare up whenever a certain colleague, friend or family member draws near? It’s not that that person is bad, necessarily, or that you simply have issues with him or her. It’s more likely that your body’s feedback is giving you an opportunity to grow, change, and heal. But it’s important to get past the initial discomfort and judgment of the other person first.
I have a dear friend named Pam. We met on the job at an advertising agency in the nineties. I didn’t like her from day one. She talked too much, she had an annoying laugh, she was irreverent, and she couldn’t have cared less about protocols or niceties if she tried. She was invasive and rough as sandpaper around the edges. She could have been my twin.
A couple thoughts about that:
1.) The grating stuff we see in other people has a lot to tell us about qualities we’re not ready to own or acknowledge in ourselves, and;
2.) as I learned to listen to my body’s wisdom, I realized my physical urge to withdraw around Pam was actually coming from a much deeper place, and was offering me a chance to rewrite part of the story I’d bought and sold about myself for years. That’s why it’s so important to check in when our hackles go up.
The same goes for joy and the higher vibrations of love, peace and happiness. When you’re feeling good, check out what’s going on in your body then, too. Do you feel more open and expansive? Do your shoulders relax and loosen? Can you naturally breathe more deeply and hold your head that much higher? It’s no accident that openness is closely associated with flexibility, warmth, and relaxation in the body.
With greater perspective—which is what our energy is always offering us—I knew that Pam embraced herself exactly as she was and it irked me. It irked me because I’d always been told young ladies don’t behave as brashly as Pam did and that speaking out of turn could mean trouble if I wasn’t careful. I was supposed to know my place but didn’t. I struggled with that message, and seeing Pam embracing her badly-behaved self stoked my inner rabble rouser to the point that it burned from the inside out.
Eventually I learned that my reaction to her was a literal wake up call to those precious qualities that had been itching to come alive in me. Once I understood how it worked, I was able to appreciate Pam as the occasionally rough and raucous loudmouth she is—just like me. We remain great friends today.
Think about it: pain is not our natural state of being and our bodies, when given permission and the right support, want to help us return to full health and balance in body, mind, and spirit. To lift yourself from the dumps, why not assume the position of well-being and allow your feelings to follow suit? It’s hard to be hopeless with your shoulders thrown back and a megawatt smile spread across your face.
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