If we are aware, we will realise that the body is constantly giving us signs as to its own health. Some signs are blindingly obvious, like pain, and some more subtle, like the colour of the tongue.
Once we learn to interpret signs from the body, we then have the choice to respond to it’s needs, or ignore them – much like seeing a warning light in the car and either looking into it, or disconnecting the light.
Some familiar examples:
· Feeling hungry – a sign from the body that it needs fuel.
· A headache – potentially dehydration, stress, neck tension, toxicity.
· Itchy eyes – hayfever / allergies
· Green snot – infection
· White spots on the nails – calcium or zinc deficiency
Some less familiar examples:
· Shaky tongue – magnesium deficiency or anxiety
· Ridges running along the nails – iron deficiency
· Yellowing of the whites of the eyes – unhappy liver
· Dark circles around the eyes – fatigue / kidney burden / adrenal glands unhappy
· Stubborn weight retention – can be thyroid / sex hormones
· Bloating, gas, diarrhoea/constipation – can be food intolerances or microbe imbalances in the gut
It takes time to learn what the signs from our bodies mean – and they can vary between people. The biggest challenge though, is to be still and present enough to listen. Often times life is too busy – the mind is racing, so the signs from the body don’t get noticed – or we are too busy to respond.
For example… Mrs Smith gets regular headaches. She notices they are there, but hasn’t got time to rest and takes some Panadol to relieve them. She knows she should probably drink more water but just doesn’t get around to it. Her neck feels tight but that’s just part of getting old right? The headaches get worse and more frequent to the point where migraines make her stop. The body started nudging her quietly, but as she didn’t respond to her body’s messages, those messages needed to get louder in the form of debilitating migraine to make her listen.
The voice of the body begins as a whisper – slight fatigue, small rash, getting sick more often – and if the body isn’t heard and cared for, it’s voice will get louder and stronger with more significant issues, until we listen. Often times those with serious illnesses look back and report noticing quiet signs from the body a long before their serious illness developed.
If we can pay attention to the body, we can learn what it is trying to tell us. Sometimes help is needed to interpret the messages, but often we intuitively know. If we are able to respond effectively, we can relieve minor ailments and prevent further health issues. Does your body have any messages for you right now?