knowing your body

I recently had acupuncture. It had been several years since my last treatment, and my neck and arm muscles were feeling particularly taut. She placed needles in my lower leg to alleviate my head and neck tension. The muscles instantly released upon the prick of the needle. My mind drifted, my body rested. This treatment reinforced my thinking around the systemic connection of the body; that one point can hold deeper sense of inner workings.

I must admit, I haven't been taking very good care of myself lately -a lot of working, and planning, and performing, and...not enough revitalization. I am determined to prioritized self-care. I've had massage. I took an Epsom salt soak. I stretched every morning and evening. It takes a lot of work, and after a week of working on myself, I don't feel better -(!!!)- I feel pretty mediocre. There is no miracle, and it takes time and energy. Our bodies are ever-changing, adaptable, and impermanent. When we heal, we don't heal to our former self -our "pre-injury" status- but rather a new status, one that remembers the pain and weakness, yet strives for physical knowledge beyond our past afflictions.

But what happens when you aren't healing? You know your body best. It is our mutual task of learning how to speak of our bodies, their pains and joys, their functions and dysfunctions. We have to learn to trust what are bodies are telling us and when to act upon their speakings.

Alternative medicine has it's plentiful benefits, the biggest being the time spent thinking about your body: it's strengths and weakness, it's boundaries and limits. We are all specialists. We too have our boundaries of knowledge, and it is always important to acknowledge that which we do not know, and who might have a different answer.

Pain is a serious response, and everyone perceives pain differently. It is good to understand your levels of pain, and what they mean to your body -is it in a process of healing? -is it unable to heal without further intervention?

My body will heal from its over-worked muscle tension. I am in no pain, just tension. My body feels fatigue. How is your body feeling today?