I am following up on my Aug. 8^th blog on reflections from the book “The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in Direct Perception of Nature” by Stephen Harrod Buhner.  As the title suggests, the book carries on from where I left off to offering ways to learn about the plant world around us and how to tap into the wisdom and healing properties available to us through them.

The same principles are relevant when discovering the deeper messages of our bodies.  To learn about something, you must spend time with it.  Just as we do naturally with personal relationships, we cultivate them over time.  Anyone who has a pet will know how powerful the nonverbal communication can be.  We get to know the nuances and movements and looks of our pets and what they mean.

So too we can learn so much more from our bodies.  When we find ourselves in a state if dis-ease or struggle, the best way to determine what is really underlying the symptoms we are experiencing is to ‘stop’ and ‘be with’ ourselves.  To ‘check in’, we sometimes refer to it by.  This is one of the gifts of reiki – it invites us to stop and ‘be with’ ourselves.  To notice what we feel and sense in our physical, emotional, mental and energetic body.  We are the only ones who can know what is really true inside though we are easily distracted by the discomfort we perceive we will experience.  This is the reason for trusted support people in our lives to journey with us.  To witness us and offer their perception and wisdom as well as to know when to just listen as we find our own answers.

I recall a time when I was experiencing great pain in my left shoulder.  I did my normal protocol of seeing my chiropractor and massage therapist.  My chiropractor asked me to do some homework.  He asked me to find a quiet space at home and get a pen and paper.  I was to ask my shoulder what was going on and write the message out with my non-writing hand.  This switches up the brain and allows a different pathway to be expressed.  I know I received insight as to the underlying cause, however I was not ready to deal with the answer until I was at a training the following weekend with a dear friend.  In one of the exercises she asked why I was pushing myself so hard to be at this training when I was obviously in great pain.  I answered back that I had to be strong. She made me stop and looked me deep in the eyes and asked me why I needed to be strong.  What followed was a deep realization of how long I had been carrying this belief system and all the places that it showed up in my life.  My shoulder was finally able to let go and heal, its message had been received.

There are numerous books and materials available to decipher the emotional messages of illnesses with the most famous current one being Louise Hay and ‘You Can Heal Your Life’. The key here is that we have participated in creating our condition so we are the ones required to change it. And one of my very favourite quotes from Abraham is “We must Make peace with where we are before we can be successful in creating a different experience”.  In other words, drop the resistance.

One of the exercises that Stephen Buhner shares in the appendix of his book is:

“Sit someplace comfortable.  Close your eyes and take some deep breaths.  Fill up your lungs as if they were balloons, fill them to bursting.  Hold it, hold it, hold it.  Then….slowly release.  As you let out the air, let out any tension you feel inside you release and flow out with your breathe.  Do this again…several times.  Begin with your toes, then your ankles, your knees.  With each exhale, let the tension in this part of the body flow out.  Continue with each major part of your body ending with your neck, face and head.

Now, imagine the floor or chair under you as two huge cupped hands holding you.  Relax into them and be held by them.  There is no need to hold yourself up. Allow yourself to be supported. Now notice in front of you, your heart. Notice its shape, colour, how healthy is seems.  Does it seem happy, sad, mad, scared?  Let your gaze focus until it really comes alive in front of you.  What feelings do you have about your heart and allow these feelings to expand until they are all you feel.  What part of your heart is standing out and demanding your attention?  What does it need from you?  What do you need from your heart?  Do this until you can look at your heart without any discomfort.  Now repeat the process with your gastrointestinal tract, your skin, your lungs, and any organ that needs your attention.  Do this until you have established a communication with all your organ systems and you feel comfortable with each.”

This is not a junior exercise!  It is not for the faint of heart. You may just want to begin with meditation, yoga, a walk in nature.  Your body will thank you when you begin to pay attention to it and as it’s the only one we have been given, I believe it’s a worthwhile investment!

What helps you know the messages of your body?  I love feedback.  Please feel free to leave a link back to your own blog too via the commentluv feature.

Until next time,

Karen