Listen to Your Body’s Wisdom

You’ve probably read many articles and books about the best ways to release weight. What you’ve learned may be sound advice.  But do you know you already have all the guidance you need to help you release weight?

That guidance is your own body.

Our bodies have an inner wisdom that is readily available to us when we take the time to listen.  I like to think of this wisdom as the voice of my spiritual consciousness, or my Higher Self.  As a child I felt a connection with my body and somehow learned to communicate with it.

It was my way of talking to God.

Your mind and body is connected through an energy field.  Fear and mental chatter cloud this connection, blocking your ability to hear your body’s wisdom. Your body wants to communicate with you. It wants to support you in your weight release journey.  By being willing to listen to your body, you open the pathway to receive its guidance.

Once you set your intention to communicate with your body’s wisdom, you may begin to notice flashes of insight, or subtle urges, guiding you to do what is in your body’s best interest.  By taking the time to connect with and listen to your body’s messages, these inspiring thoughts and feelings become easier for you to act on.  For example, instead of feeling you “should” exercise after work, you may feel inspired to exercise because you “want” to do what is good for your body.

When you feel separation from your body, you feel obligated to take care of it;
but when you feel connected to your body you want to take care it.

Here’s an exercise to help you listen to your body:

When you do this for the first time, make it a sacred experience. Light a candle if you wish. Give yourself about twenty or thirty minutes of unhurried, private time.

1. Sit quietly in a comfortable space with no distractions.  Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing for a few moments to settle yourself.
2. Set your intention to communicate with your body. For example, you can say to yourself, while directing these words to your body, “I want to connect with you.” Be receptive to the inspiration and guidance it always is offering.
3. Release any thoughts. Notice your breath. Let your mind come to rest, if even for a moment. Be still for several minutes.
4. Now, speaking silently to yourself, ask your body, “What do you wish to communicate to me?” Be silent.  Listen.  Breathe.
5. Take your time. When ready, gently open your eyes.  Allow the process to settle inside of you for a few moments before continuing with your day’s activities.

It’s fine if you don’t hear a clear response to your question right away.  Your body may communicate to you through whispers of insight, a peaceful feeling, or more energy. Connecting with your body like this happens beyond the mind so it may feel as if you have not communicated with it.  Just know that your body already has begun to impart insight and information to you simply because you set the intention for that to happen.

You can modify this exercise to ask your body specific questions. For example, each morning ask it how you can best honor it that day, or ask for insight about managing specific emotional eating triggers.

When you hear a clear message from your body asking you to do something, it’s very important to follow through with your body’s request.  For example, if you hear a message to drink more water and you don’t, you are betraying your body by asking what it wants and disregarding its need.  As in any relationship, honoring your body’s wishes deepens your connection.

As you develop the habit of regularly communicating with your body, over time you will naturally begin to tune into your body throughout the day.  The loving guidance you receive will help you to release weight with confidence, ease and grace.

Listen. What is your body saying to you?