Your Body Is Always Talking To You. Are You Listening?

The Body Is Selfless

When was the last time you listened to your body speak? I don't mean literally, but through sensations, impulses, or intuitive guidance. For example, are you aware of the subtle changes in your body from time to time? How do you treat your body in general? With compassion, nurturing, or with contempt? It is not about making you feel guilty, but about helping you identify your predominant relationship with your body.

Our body is constantly providing for us through the breath and the beating of our heart. These processes occur tirelessly and effortlessly, receiving no instructions from outside of us. They are precise and function as intended, regardless of whether we're asleep or awake. The body gives so much of itself, asking nothing in return. Our gift to our body is to love and nurture it in the same way we would a child or a loved one. It involves treating it with kindness to show how much we care for our body.

For instance, have you ever considered the complexity of your body's innate wisdom? Next time you meditate, I invite you to tune into your breath and notice it is constant without ever stopping to rest. It doesn't stop when you're asleep, nor when you're showering or walking. Your breath provides you with rich oxygen to nourish every cell in your body all the time. It happens with no effort on your part. Sometimes, the body may work irregularly, but even then, it is still trying to correct itself and provide for your needs. Therefore, the body is selfless and gives of itself unconditionally.

Listen To Your Body

Here's an idea to consider: your body speaks to you in quiet whispers, which requires learning the language it communicates in. For this reason, we must develop a strong relationship with our body and not dismiss the signals we receive. I admit, it's difficult to know what our body is saying sometimes, especially if we are living a fast-paced life. But this can be a call to slow down and connect with our body more often, to listen to the quiet intuitive impulses. It requires perceiving the sensations and messages the body is sending and listening to them with openness. For example, if you're in a crowded place and surrounded by unfamiliar people, you might experience a headache. Rather than dismiss it or blame your body for being sensitive, listen to what the headache is trying to tell you. Perhaps it is a sign your body is uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar setting? Is it alerting you to anxiety, discomfort, or something else? Listen and tune in without judgement.

There's a saying that reads: "If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won't have to hear it scream." The underlying meaning here is that the body communicates in quiet undertones. If we dismiss the messages, the body will do what is necessary to get our attention, which may result in pain, illness, or disease. Similarly, many people nowadays use wearable devices that relay data on how their body is performing. However, they are limited insofar as they cannot tell what the body is feeling. This is because the body perceives emotions well before the brain has time to register them. It has an energy field, which can pick up subtle changes in our environment and communicate it to us.

How do you feel about this so far? Can you see that tuning in to your body is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself? It fosters a two-way relationship because you are giving it what it needs. For example, you might feel tired, but decide to push through your work until you are exhausted. However, by tuning in to the wisdom of your body, you take a small nap and come back to your work feeling rested. Yes, I agree, sometimes we are inundated with the pressures to get things done. But I'm inviting you to notice whether you are creating time to listen to your body's needs.

Your Body Knows The Truth

Practise the art of listening to your body. Speak to it often and let it know you are grateful for the tireless work it performs. It's not as crazy as it sounds. For example, I know people who talk to their plants, which grow and flourish. I have no evidence whether talking to plants actually works. However, thanking your body for the constant work it performs is one of the best things to develop a stronger connection. After all, your body is a vessel for your experience of life. It holds all your emotions, wounds, and trauma. Therefore, we must listen to the body when it speaks, because there could be important messages it wishes to convey.

To put it another way: the body holds the truth because if we are attentive, it will show us how we're really feeling. This is where mindful meditation can help us go deeper into this practice. It involves sitting in silence, tuning in to our breath and bringing our awareness to areas of our body. This is a practice I recommend when working with coaching clients for the first time. I invite them to create a ritual, starting with three minutes of meditation and extending the time progressively. It needn't become a chore, but something they will come to enjoy. After all, we spend so much time maintaining, cleaning and fixing our bodies through grooming. So, it makes sense to add 5 or 10 minutes to our day to be in silence. We simply notice the breath and the sensations occurring in the body. We tune in to any emotional disturbances and welcome them without trying to control or push them away. Then, we invite them to be present and listen to any messages they are trying to convey.

In mindfulness circles, it is known the body is always in the present moment, yet our minds are stuck in the past or worrying about the future. When we are engaged with our breath and meeting the sensations of the body, we are anchored to the present moment. We are in harmony with our mind and body and become one in awareness. So, your practice over the coming weeks is to tune in to the wisdom of your body. See if you can recognise the impulses occurring throughout the day. Use a journal or diary to record your experiences and see if you can make sense of them. Look for a pattern or theme with the sensations. For example, you might notice more tension and anxiety throughout the working week and less so on the weekends. Note it in your journal and create more space for your body to be calm. After all, if our body is always talking to us and we are not listening, eventually we will hear it scream and by then it may be too late.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10544909

Wim Hof Explains Benefits of Cold Showers

Wim Hof Method

3 Pillars

Breathing Technique

Gradual Cold Exposure

Mindset - Commitment

The Importance of Cold Showers

A modern convenience, a luxury we have these days is hot water. This hot water comes out little spouts for us to use in cleaning, cooking, really cruel practical jokes, or whatever else comes to mind. Since this is obviously something that primitive people in the past didn't have access to, we should use it for bathing (or showers) because it's superior, right? After all, the heat kills bad germs, or something like that, right? Oh, and it feels good. It's sooo much easier than taking a cold shower or bath. And cold showers make you sick, right? And aren't good for you? And hot showers are better?

That is about as much reason for hot showers as I've ever heard from anyone. The people who still take warm/hot showers and refuse to take cold ones don't know the real benefits.

Did you know that many of those "primitive" people, like the Romans who have made roads, aqueducts and cities lasting thousands of years with precision that would challenge us to this day, continued to use cold water for bathing even when they had access to steaming hot water?

Or that Native Americans, after sitting in a steaming tent, would immediately jump in a cold lake?

The Aztecs (might have been the Mayans... or Incas) also used cold water after taking a steamy hot steam shower.

Before the big pharmaceutical companies came into play, doctors would recommend COLD baths to fix a whole host of problems.

And to this day, those who are serious about health still take cold showers.

Personally I take only cold showers now. I start the water warm and get my body cleaned, then immediately turn it to cold (as cold as it will go) and let it run over me. Most times I even sit down with my eyes closed and take it for several minutes, breathing steadily, feeling the energy surge through my body.

I don't get this with warm showers. There are many reasons for that.

When that cold water hits your body, the heart begins pumping warm blood everywhere. It speeds up everything about you. The cold bite fights against your mind and your will power. You are forced to either fight it and continue, or give in and take a warm shower just as most people would. When the water is properly cold, it can be hard. But so rewarding.

It is said that a cold shower raises testosterone levels, while a warm shower lowers them. I don't care for the science behind it, I just know that this seems to hold true. Testosterone is the man hormone, and taking luxuriously warm showers sure isn't very manly compared to cold ones. Ask most any tough guy to start taking cold showers from here on out, chances are he'll refuse. I've done this many times, so far not one has been willing to take the challenge.

But you should. Try it once. Turn the water to cold, all the way, and don't jump out. Wait until your body enjoys it. Sit down and let it pour over you like a waterfall. When your heart is pumping so much blood that the water begins to feel warm, you may step out. Chances are when you step out, you will feel as though you can take on the world. A warm shower will never give you this feeling. A testosterone building, will power challenging, heart racing cold shower like this will.

If you're anything like me, you will long for that feeling again and next time sit in the water longer. You'll be wanting a cold shower, even if it hurts at first. You will come to love the challenge. You become excited when the water is freezing cold, and disappointed when it is only luke warm at most. While others are complaining about running out of warm water for showers or baths, you'll laugh and jump right in.

Did I mention that taking cold showers also helps your body adjust to the cold much better? I have a hard time in cold weather, but when I take cold showers regularly, I can handle it as well as those who love the cold.

Something else I have discovered from cold showers is how well they help the body recover. Whether it's muscle soreness from working out or being sick from making a few bad food choices, cold showers either solve or at least help solve the issue. A cold ice bath does wonders for recovery, and bragging rights.

The temporary cold also helps strengthens the hair and skin. While most guys don't worry about having smooth skin and hair, those are signs of health. And it is perfectly acceptable to have smooth yet hard body. After all, don't we say we want our bodies carved in granite? Those statues are smooth yet hard. And the cold water will help keep everything it touches healthy (as a side note, healthy skin from cold showers also means less acne).

I've also mentioned it speeds up the heart, gets it pumping. It jump starts the whole body. If you were tired before the shower, you will be bounding with energy afterward. There is no way this can be unhealthy. This energy also strengthens the immune system in the process.

And one of my favorite things about cold showers is bragging rights. Most people have trouble even believing me when I tell them I take cold showers, or that I recommend them for so many problems. Having trouble with the cold? Take cold showers. Tired? Take a cold shower. Sick? Take a cold shower.

It may seem "primitive" and hard, but it works. And besides... who else is willing to try? Stand out from the crowd.

Take a shower.

A COLD shower.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7211372

The ONLY 3 Things You NEED to Get in Shape!...

... and they are

Attitude - Starting Point - Consistency

Ten Weight Loss Hacks

Losing weight is not just a matter of eating the right foods and getting enough exercise, it is also a matter of developing the mental side of it because unless you get yourself into the right frame of mind your weight loss efforts are doomed to fail. Here are ten weight-loss hacks.

1. Develop a healthy living mindset

Weight management is more a healthy living mind-set rather than a weight-loss one. Get into healthy living habits try not to focus on how much weight you are losing. Focus instead on getting enough exercise and eating the right foods. Healthy living also means living well and looking after your mental well-being. Unless you are in the right head-space you will not be in the right frame of mind to make the right choices as far as what you eat.

2. Decide to be happy despite your current circumstances

Some people make a decision that they are not going to be happy until they lose x amount of weight or for some other reason. In other words they need a license in order to be happy. The catch-22 situation is that a low self-esteem will undermine your weight-controlling efforts. Being happy is your responsibility and yours alone. It is up to you to find your own calling in life and being the person you were meant to be will go a long way towards achieving happiness and once you achieve that it will be easier to achieve your ideal weight.

3. Be yourself

There is no one else like you so be the best at being you rather than an imitation of someone else. It is better to polish the personal unique gifts and talents you have rather than be envious of others who are gifted in other areas. You are not meant to hide the talents you have or keep them to yourself but rather share them with others so that they may benefit from them. As far as weight-loss goes, it is futile to try and achieve a model-like figure when you have a different body-type.

4. Don't compare yourself with others.

Run your own race and let others run their races. People who have a low self-esteem tend to make unfavourable comparisons with others. It is true that people tend to date their self-esteem. They are attracted to people who have the same issues as they have. Just accept who you are and if others do not like who you are then that is their problem, not yours. Just do your best!

5. Take no notice of the infomercials

Advertisers will use all the tricks in the book to appeal to your desires. That includes making you feel guilty about who you are. Honestly, you can understand why some women's self-esteem suffers when you see some of the ads. There is usually a disclaimer in the ad saying "results are not typical." Understand that for every person who appears in those testimonials there are countless others who were unsuccessful despite all their efforts. The success stories you read of are often exaggerated.

6. Ignore the before and after ads

Take no notice of the before and after adverts. The only before and after photos you should concern yourself with are your own. An unflattering photo is always used for the before photo.You do not know what goes on in order to produce such a flattering image in the after photo.

7. Make small changes daily

Make gradual changes to your diet in order for your body to become accustomed to a different routine whether that is changes to your diet or a new fitness regime. Develop good habits by taking bite-sized changes. It will all take time but it is better than trying to achieve too much in a short time then losing heart and giving up. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was anything else worth achieving so be patient.

8. Don't lose heart

It may be frustrating when you are not making much progress. Don't lose heart, just keep to your healthy living plan and you will at least be satisfied that you are doing the right thing. Focus on your hobbies and this will keep your mind off worries. Enjoy living your life despite your circumstances.

9. Take up new hobbies and sports

This is essential for your well-being because unless you are in the right head-space your efforts to control your weight will be in vain. Have you heard of the saying "comfort eating?" Sport enables you to connect with others and helps to build up your network of friends and acquaintances. Getting involved in some kind of sport is an activity that will certainly help you to control your weight and help maintain your mental stability. There are a number of sports you can take up and it does not matter how unfit you are. Even walking around the block is better than not exercising. The key is to get into the habit of exercising. Your capacity to do more exercise will increase as your fitness increases.

10. Understand there are no magic formulas

There is no magic formula for obtaining the body you want. There is no easy solution or short-cut method for reducing your weight. It takes effort and sacrifice and you have to decide whether it is all worth it. There is an ideal weight for all body types. Therefore you need to establish what is the ideal body type for your weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10540851

Self Care: What It Really Is | Susannah Winters | TEDxHiltonHeadWomen

4 components of self care that will support your overall wellness

Nourishing Foods, Stillness & Movement, Time in Nature & Self Expression

How to Practice Self Care

Self care is one of the most important things available for health and well-being Life gets busy and overwhelming, but it is necessary to make time for self care. Self care consists of focusing on what you need when you need it with the intention of health and well-being.

Self care means resting when it is needed, eating natural whole foods, moving the body, meditation, healthy relationships, fun and elimination of toxic behaviors or poor habits. The list includes anything that is focusing on your wellness.

When the body has been abused enough and self care is not a priority innate wisdom takes over. The body sends messages. Sometimes the messages are ignored or suppressed with prescription medications, over the counter drugs or other toxic vices. It is wise to listen in order to bring the body into a state of balance again.

Symptoms are a body's wise way of saying that yourself needs attention. Healing comes by going deeper and asking the sometimes difficult questions. Why is this symptom happening? What is my body saying? What lifestyle changes need to be made? What emotion is attached to this symptom? There are more questions that need to be asked rather than suppressing an issue further. The issue will come back again and again until healing the root cause. Once the root issue is healed balance will be present.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine the body associates particular emotions within certain organs. The liver-gallbladder holds anger, kidneys hold fear, heart is associated with joy, spleen harbours worry and over thinking. The lungs are connected with grief. So the next time a symptom is experienced you may consider a possible emotional connection.

Many women, mothers and care providers often get caught in the trap of over giving and not setting boundaries. The adrenals become fatigued or even worse exhausted and the whole body becomes out of balance. In this case saying no when necessary is self care. Saying no to something or someone else and saying yes to self care as needed is best for everyone involved. Taking the time that you need to rejuvenate, nurture and nourish yourself well in order to be a caregiver adds to the quality of life.

To practice self care it is best to listen to your own body. That can mean facing some unpleasant truths, but ultimately self care practiced correctly leads to health, happiness and well-being. It is not selfish to give yourself care as needed. Without taking time for your well-being and recognizing your worth there is nothing left to share with others.

Lisa R. Marshall is a natural wellness, nutrition and healing arts practitioner. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7559684