Okay be honest...

How often do you ignore your intuition and/or feel something deserves your attention yet you choose to focus elsewhere?

practice listening to how your body is communicating with you

In 3 minutes you'll read about:

• The powerful wisdom of your "gut feeling"

• My personal experience with how I ignored my gut feeling

• Next steps for how you can honor your body's wisdom

  
  

---

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘trust your gut’ - maybe so often that it’s lost its meaning, just something we say rather than something we act on.

I played sports growing up, and before every game, I’d get a stomach ache that often forced me to spend time in the bathroom. Nothing like getting in the zone while sitting on the toilet am I right?? My point is this: the anxiety and stress I felt were sending physical signals to my body. And while I knew it wasn’t a “normal” reaction, it was normal for me. So, I chose to surrender to it and ignore the underlying cause. We can either accept when something feels “off” because it’s familiar, or we can choose to listen to the intuition and wisdom our bodies are trying to communicate. Deep down I knew my stomach aches weren’t healthy, but because I had dealt with them for so long, I just figured they were a permanent part of my experience.

This is an example of not listening to my intuition. My gut was (literally) telling me something was out of alignment. I could rationalize it by thinking “It’s just a game, there’s no reason to be this stressed or anxious.” But that logic didn’t translate to my body. Now, I’m making the choice to listen to my body and what it’s trying to tell me.

Maybe you can chalk my example up to pre-game nerves - something many people can relate to. But what about the way stress and anxiety show up when I’m running late, when plans change, when my to-do list gets overwhelming, when I’m too busy, or when things just aren’t going the way I want and I feel helpless? These things do not force me to spend time in a cute little bathroom, but they do cause my chest to tighten, my breathing to shallow, and for me to feel emotionally unstable. These are all ways my body is whispering to me, communicating with me that there are things I need to address.

Our bodies are incredibly resilient, filled with deep wisdom and intuition - they want the best for us, helping us to be our healthiest and happiest. Our bodies communicate though small whispers - like stomach aches - and if we ignore them, they grow louder, turning into screams, like high blood pressure (thank you Oren Harris for the metaphor).

Okay so what does this mean for you? I am glad you asked!

Take your second now to listen to how your body is communicating with you. What is it saying? Should you spend more time in nature? Should you spend more time with loved ones and less time working? Should you slow down and address your high stress levels? Should you add more whole foods to your meals? Should you cut back on alcohol? Should you leave your job? You should pick up your hobbies again? Should you put yourself out there more? The list is endless because all of us are different in how our bodies are communicating with us. Your body knows what it needs. It will not be easy, but listening to your intuition, wisdom, and how your body is communicating with you is paramount in living the life you are yearning for. 

How can you take a tiny step to honor what your body is telling you today? Don’t wait for tomorrow, next week, or next month. You have everything you need to act on what you’re hearing from your body right now. Remember, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Be kind, patient, and gentle with yourself as you learn to listen to what your body is saying.

-Danielle