Care For Your Body to Renew Your Mind + Spirit
Many years ago, I sat down for a session with my Grief Guide, and he said to me, "you seem strong today." I replied, "I do feel good. I've been working out a lot lately, and that seems to help." To that, he replied, "strong body, strong mind, strong spirit."
Those words have echoed in my mind ever since. And it was true, as I started to care for my body, my mind and spirit felt stronger. In those days, I ran intervals on the treadmill often in tears, I kept a towel close by to dry the inevitable tears that fell when I exercised. I had to force myself to move my body many days, but as I did, I gained clarity in my mind and strength in my spirit. When we are going through something really hard, it's natural to be stuck in our emotions. We ache to feel better spiritually and emotionally. Yet we neglect our bodies, and our minds run rampant.
We live in this physical body. Too often, we battle this body of ours. Maybe because we don't like the way it looks or moves or feels. The commitment to exercise feels laborious, and our bodies feel heavy from sadness or exhaustion. But it's what we need. Our bodies are also are barometers, telling us so much more than we take the time to hear. Part of our knowing comes straight from our bodies. Nurturing our physical bodies is one part of the path to renewal and healing.
I've taken my body for granted. I'm blessed with a healthy body that often feels tired and tight yet shows up for me every day. It's sturdy and still allows me to lift my growing son, who depends on me to move. It's allowed me to get little sleep for years and years, it's held me up under tremendous grief and through many months and years of feeling like I had little left to give. My physical body has shown up, steady, and strong. But everything has its limits.
Late last year, I felt especially depleted. I trained for a 7-mile race, and I felt like complete crap, even after following the training program. Running has long been in my exercise rotation. I'm not fast, but I know how to increase my endurance. Despite all my efforts, I felt awful after the race and disappointed too. I had ringing in my ears and was falling asleep at 7 pm. I felt like I could barely hold Bodey. I knew something was wrong.
Through research and some pit stops along the way, I made my way to an Integrative Medicine Doctor this year. Always trusting my intuition, I showed up at my first appointment with a laundry list of all that felt off in my body. At our first meeting, she sat down in her chair and said. "tell me your story." To which I jokingly yet truthfully said, "how long do you have?" She was so kind to me and spent over an hour asking me questions. She finally said to me, "you are operating on empty, literally. Your body needs help". My labs proved that to be true.
She suggested I go easy on exercise, doing things less intensely and focusing on walking and restoration. She gave me supplements and vitamins to take. She made diet suggestions. I'm about one month into this recovery program. The changes have not been hard for me because I intuitively know my body needs them. I am learning to fuel my body more effectively. Not putting it last after everyone else has eaten and been cared for.
As I continue to focus on my body, I feel my mind and spirit joining in the recovery. For me, this has been a silver lining of COVID. I've been forced to stop. And in many ways, keep going, but in a different way. I've realized that while I'm capable of spinning a hundred plates, holding Bodey, cooking dinner, and reconfiguring my non-profit amidst this pandemic, I don't want to operate like that anymore. I need to give my body some love, which will help my mind and spirit know what to do next.
Simultaneously, in June, I joined an online program called Fat Loss Lifestyle School (FLLS). I have followed the founder. Leslie Ann, on Instagram for a while and felt a nudge to join her program. She's smart, sensible, a no B-S gal, just what I love. In addition to feeling depleted, I had extra weight I've carried since having Bodey. I wanted to see if I could shift somethings and just feel better in my own skin.
I learned from my doctor that my body would not release any weight until it was actually supported. I learned from FLLS that we need to do less and not more to heal our bodies. Less intensity, more nourishment. Listen to your body. How do you feel when you eat this or that? Really feel it, listen and adjust. Trust yourself.
I'm just at the beginning of this recovery. It's a lifestyle change more than a program of any sort. It's "Jessica listen to your body and put it first more than you do" change. But we get so busy, and as women, we all too often put our selves last. We think the faster we move, the more successful we'll be. Or the faster we move, the grief will subside, or we won't feel the pain so deeply. Or maybe we have to move that fast because we are just surviving moment to moment. I know that feeling too.
Women, especially, will give to everyone else but ourselves. We're too often the ones holding it all together, and we think if we deny ourselves and make everyone else okay, somehow, we will be okay. This doesn’t work. The only way it shifts is if we collectively choose to change it—one woman at a time, supporting one another in the recovery. {For all you men reading, you too need to care for your bodies and encourage your partner to do the same. It's a way we can take care of one another}.
If you want to renew your mind and spirit, start with your body. Learn to listen to it, to nourish it. Stop denying what you know you need. Join a group of other women. Make a doctor appointment for yourself. Get your labs checked. Encourage a friend you know is struggling to take care of herself. If we want renewal, we've got to author it. We have to love ourselves enough to take the plunge and admit we need it. You are worth the work. Worth the fight. Worth the time to learn to love your body and nurture her again.
Result?
Strong mind and spirit too.
Here are some links for you to check out:
Fat Loss Lifestyle School - Website
Fat Loss Lifestyle School - Instagram
I love following Dr. Mark Hyman on Instagram - he’s a wealth of amazing knowledge!
I also visit a chiropractor every two weeks, they have helped me beyond words.
Live well, you are worth it!
❤️ Jessica
