Maybe, now is the time when you decide to practice, I mean really practice, listening to your body.
This is especially important if you are healing an ongoing injury – like a sore back for example. I remember, when I was recovering from my back injury. One of my unhelpful thought patterns was “I’ll just….”
I would use this to do what I wanted to do, rather than, listen to my back. My back always spoke the loudest and I would be crippled with pain. I’d slowly get better then “I’d just” …. hurt myself.
I was well and truly on a cycle of healing, reinjuring, healing, reinjuring for years (I was a slow learner and yet I wanted to get better fast). Yet, I just kept repeating the habit until I STOPed. And started paying attention to my thoughts and my body (yoga helped immensely with this).
So, did the metaphor – S.T.O.P
Stop Think Observe Proceed
It helped me “catch those thoughts which inspired inappropriate action, BEFORE, I did it. See if it works for you.
When you notice your inner voice saying, things like; “I’ll just lift this, or weed eat that”.
STOP and CHECK in with your back. How is it feeling?
Consider an alternative thought pattern. Two trips is a good one. If it’s added to an established pattern that inspires action, you have a peg to hang it on. Imagine the difference a small tweak like “I’ll just take two trips” would make to someone who is in the cycle of re-injuring.
It works for other things too…. Not just sore backs. What might be a phrase (or mantra) you use to make a meaningful difference in your life this month? If you don’t have one, how about simply using
“I LOVE YOU and I AM LISTENING” . Notice what happens.
The Story of My Back
In 1994 I had a ruptured disk and prolapse disk. I was immobilized by pain and muscle weakness in my back and right leg.
Years of pain medication, doctors, specialists, physio. Steroids injection. … I was not a fit or happy camper.
I hated “my stupid back” would often grumble about how “would never get better” (Life before NLP and yoga 😉 )
In 2001 in Dubai I met a yoga teacher. He said …..
“Yoga will enable you to cure what not be endured and to endure what can not be cured”
It resonated!
I had nothing to loose. It was a win-win.
I went to my mat everyday and incremental I noticed change.
Slowly, slowly…. The practice of ahimsa. Kindness and compassion.
My practice of speaking kindly to my “healing back”
Shifting my language from berating my spine to an invitation of healing and movement
LISTENING, LISTENING, LISTENING
When I listened to what was right for my spine and looked for ways to support it… it healed
I rested when I needed to.
I stopped forcing, pushing fighting striving…
And I practiced acceptance.
I breathed in my positive intention and I practiced and practiced letting go of expectation and just BE-ing
Was it always easy? Hell no!
Was it worth it? YES!
Yoga changed my life!
I stopped looking for others to fix me and realized only I could heal myself. When I understood that healing only happened inside me.
The game changed and here I am 2017. A reasonably flexible spine. I walk and move with ease.
There are still things I can’t do. I can’t run I can’t feel my foot and my right side has less movement. But it MOVES and it doesn’t hurt!
And it is really ok!
Yoga has taught me how to honor my body and be so very very thankful to live in it.