Self-care is something that should be a no-brainer for those of us who are healers, energy workers, therapists and all manner of carer, who have taken up the mantle of walking the spiritual path. We are constantly advising others on how to better care for themselves, body, mind and spirit, especially those on an inner journey, however....

Here we are late at night, tired, run down, feeling low - neglected. How is it we ourselves have not made it onto the priority list for some special (or even quite ordinary) treatment? Why do we consistently undervalue our own personal needs above all others?

I don't think this is a healthy pattern, it is not a 'selfless act', nor should it even be still an issue at this stage in the game. Yet, for so many (me included) our bodies 'ask' (tiny little nudge like a whisper of breath on the cheek) for something and we ignore it.

Why does this matter so much and why must we do something about it? 

Because this behaviour leads to inattention. Living, working, existing, day in and day out with the only consistent pattern being one of continuously ignoring our own inner voice, instincts and intuition is not healthy, is not appropriate and cannot possibly foster safety and security on the road to home.

But we all do it. There have been years and years of practice under our collective belts where we clearly hear, understand and know exactly what we should/need/could/ be doing however, this simply falls away, like words on wind.

How on earth will we ever pay attention to the BIG things, if we cannot be reassuring our bodies we are listening and following through with the smaller, more mundane matters in life? Our bodies need to know we trust in it's ability to keep us healthy, safe and on the right track.

These spiritual bodies also need to develop that same faith in us - that we can hear it, we will listen and then act on it's needs.  

This communication thing with the body, mind and soul works both ways here - we hear our body's voice and 'it' listens back. All communication, in a healthy system should operate in this way, requests and needs can be made known to all parties.

Once these channels have opened up, new levels of trust are free to develop, more and deeper understanding can take place and the real magic of living, exactly as you are meant to in this realm, can move into existence. 

5 Ways to Practice Listening to Your Body's Voice

• Take a break - away from computers, television, radio, cell phones, electromagnetic clutter - too much of this can damage delicate energy fields

• Get Outside - fresh air, gardens, trees, flowers, the beach, all of nature is tuned into a higher frequency, ground yourself in it

• Exercise - move your body, pay attention as activity works muscles and pumps blood

• Write - sometimes writing gets energy flowing from the brain, heart, mind etc. taking messages outwards

• Pay Attention - signs, messages, information are all around you, constantly, read the signposts, look for hidden symbols, things are not at all what they may seem

These are only a few ways to train yourself to pay attention and listen to your body's voice, the key here is to be consistent with all you are doing. Exercise each day, get into your garden often, remove any rubbish still sneaking into your diet and take some time each day to yourself, even it is in the shower. 

Care of the self is a far more vital piece of walking a spiritual path then we have been led to believe. Giving ALL of our energy, resources, time and attention away to others is not an act of generosity, it appears to be a pattern of self neglect we have fallen into. 

We cannot listen or be trusted with higher levels of consciousness if we are operating on spent energy. Now is the time to make some fundamental changes to how, when, why and where you will listen. Your body will take care of the 'what'.

Have a healthy day,

April