I was talking to a client of mine the other day. I had treated him for a shoulder pain sometime last year. He had had it for a while and had tried numerous approaches, including acupuncture and traditional physical therapy, which had not given any lasting relief. Truthfully, despite his sister urging him to come see me for months, the only reason he finally gave in and came was that it was seriously hindering his golf game! :). Thankfully, despite being somewhat skeptical of my “woo woo” (mind, body, spirit) approach, he got complete relief in 3 visits.

Knowing he had a positive experience with me, his sister (who has been my client for many years) gave him a gift certificate for his birthday last December.  I saw him at a  friends funeral in January and reminded him that he had a gift certificate. His response was “I’m not feeling any pain now, so I’ll come when I’m in pain”. I smiled. I have learned to honor people’s choices.
So finally this week he called for an appointment as he was in pain. As I worked on him, He realized that there were places the were sore and tight that he had not been aware of. We spoke about the importance of maintenance and how the body, like a car, needs maintenance. I reminded him that he does not wait until  his car breaks down to get it serviced and when he waits for the body to get to the point of pain and other symptoms (extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle tension) it takes more to “get it back on the road”.

The beauty of this conversation was that it reminded me that self care is not something many of us have been taught to do. We do not really understand why it is integral to health and well-being and how it affects every aspect of our lives. Generally, we have been told that we should exercise and eat a healthy diet; Get a good nights rest, and go on vacation every now and again. But self care is more than how you care for your body. It’s also about paying attention to your soul.

So, what are some of the things you can do on a daily basis to “keep your engine purring”?

Here are a few suggestions:
1 – Love Your Body (by taking good care of it!)
* Exercise regularly and stretch when you are done. This keeps your muscles toned, improves your circulation (which transports the nutrients to the areas they are needed) and really helps release tension from the system.
* Drink water regularly throughout the day. Water is essential for life. It is how your cells communicate with each other. Even when you are not sweating you are constantly losing water. Your body is 70% water and needs to be well hydrated to function optimally.
* Practice conscious eating. Eat foods that make your body feel light and energized. (You may have to spend some time tuning in to how you feel after you eat to figure this out). Do you always eat on the run? Is eating a conscious ritual of nurturing and nourishing yourself? Did you know that the process of digestion begins in the mouth? Taking the time to chew your food well aids digestion and decreases the stress on your stomach.
* Get a massage or some other form of bodywork. It has been scientifically proven that there are significant health benefits to receiving massages and other forms of bodywork (reflexology, craniosacral therapy, reiki, chiroporactic adjustments). They boost the immune system, help the body come back to a place of balance and alignment, and decrease the negative effects of stress. You don’t need to wait until you are in pain. Just go as an act of loving support and kindness, to show appreciation to your amazing body. Your true home.
2 – Live With Integrity.
Integrity is all about how you make and keep your agreements with yourself and others. Let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No. Often times we say yes because out of obligation (because we “should”) or a need to be “nice” (not wanting to hurt their feelings) instead of because it is something we really feel happy to do. When you find you are out of integrity, or the moment you realize you cannot keep an agreement you’ve made, contact the person and negotiate the  agreement ASAP.  This will make your life so much simpler!  Tell the truth. This will decrease the tension in your body significantly!
3 – Live YOUR Truth
This will make your life more joyful!
It’s interesting how often we find ourselves on “someone else’s agenda”, or living by someone else’s rules/values that are not our own. More often than not, this leads to feelings of anger and resentment.
There have been many points in my life when I truly felt like I didn’t know what I wanted so I didn’t choose, or I let someone else choose for me. I had no idea at the time I was giving my power away. The power to choose is what makes us free!
I now know that my knowing was simply blocked by the fear – which was propagated by the belief – that I couldn’t have what I wanted.
Your emotions are your inner guidance system. They let you know if what you are thinking is true for you or not. What is true for you will always make you feel lighter and what is not true for you will always make you feel heavier.
Your feelings will also tell you if you are coming from fear or from love.
If you are thinking fearful thoughts you will feel anxious, stressed, worried, sick, tired etc.
If you are thinking loving thoughts you will feel happy, peaceful, joyful, energized, optimistic, grateful, enthusiastic, generous, hopeful, abundant, expansive etc.
So if you notice you are feeling bad, heavy, depressed, sluggish, ask yourself: “What am I believing that is not true?”  Your belief/reality may feel absolutely true, but I would invite you to trust your inner guidance system and decide what you would prefer to believe instead: Something that will make you feel better and is aligned with what you truly want for your life!

I hope you found some gems here. It is my intention by sharing these stories and pearls of wisdom, that you will be inspired to expand, evolve and choose… To consciously create a life that truly matters to you!

Please leave a comment below, I LOVE hearing from you and knowing you were here!