Putting Your Body First!

 

What does putting your body first mean? Eating a balanced diet? Exercising? Drinking lots of water? Getting plenty of rest? Perhaps all of these things. Maybe even a few more. I’m learning that putting my body first means doing what my body needs to live a long and healthy life; not what ” I feel like doing”. It means being active and eating nourishing foods rich in vitamins and minerals. It means listening to my body’s signals and paying attention to it’s warning signs. It means making a personal commitment to my health and well-being. What does it mean to you?

We’re all different in this life; with different bodies and different lifestyles, yet we all have the same physical needs as human beings. We need oxygen to breathe and food to live. We need clean water and shelter to protect us from exposure. We need regular exercise/movement in order to maintain our muscles, flexibility, protect our bones and stay strong. These are the more primitive, physical requirements, of our species.

How often do we think about these basic requirements that our body needs to survive? For me, not enough. How about you? I know I’m not alone in body rejection, self-sabotage, and bad habits. Yet, I keep doing it… even when I “know better”.  After years of diet and exercise education I “know” what to do and yet mustering up the motivation…determination…and energy to do it ebbs and flows. I’ve gone through periods of being a health fanatic, exercising daily; sometimes twice or more a day and eating restrictively. I’ve also gone through periods of overeating, not eating enough, little to no exercise and eating all the “wrong foods”. Neither is a good place to be and both cry of self- rejection and hatred.  Being 36, I’m realizing this battle isn’t working for me and I’m fighting the clock. We all are, because life is short and to live it halfheartedly; disconnected from our bodies and rejecting its very needs. This only speeds up the aging process, causes dis-ease, health problems, and reduces energy as well as our life expectancy! It also causes great unhappiness, shame, and depression. Seeing the big picture now? Ask yourselves, “What things are you doing to self-sabotage your body?”. What messages are you sending it and thus yourself?

Putting your body first is about making a decision to make peace with yourself and make you a priority in your own life! Will you join me in this decision? Will you value your life enough to put your body first? Because the truth is, we can’t be on this physical plane without a body. It’s kind of a requirement for being human. Although we are Spiritual Beings, we are also human; with a body that needs focused attention and care. All those pesky preventative healthcare screenings and exams are to maintain our health and help us live longer. When we ignore them, we’re likely to miss signs of declining health. When we half-heartedly take care of ourselves with the bare minimum, we feel run-down, tired, confused, depressed, lethargic and physically weak. We get sick more often and have re-occurring illnesses. We miss work. Our moods are wild and unpredictable due to unstable blood sugar spikes. We can’t problem solve as well. Life gets overwhelming and sometimes too much altogether. I think this is why many people drink alcohol, use drugs, and even commit suicide. This cycle causes great upheaval and pain. It’s like the chicken and the egg scenario; which came first… the chicken or the egg? Does the emotional pain cause this body-rejection and self-hatred, or are poor habits or little to no self-care the culprit? I really don’t know. What I’ve learned for me, is that it doesn’t matter.

Putting your body first means taking a good look at your everyday habits and noticing all the little choices we make every day that add up over the months and years. I don’t think any of us want to have a heart attack or stroke as a wake up call before we begin to put our bodies first. Just like the instructions stewardesses give on airplanes about putting on your own oxygen mask first, then helping your child or another person;  we need to take care of ourselves first and foremost. This isn’t selfish; it’s survival. We can’t be of real service to anyone if we don’t attend to our physical needs first.

Will you join me in this choice? We can do it. We must do it. What’s the alternative? How well are you living now? Trust me, life has a way of catching up to our habits and actions sooner or later. My mother was a work-a-holic all her life and suffered 2 strokes at age 54 that made her disabled forever. She lost her ability to talk, read, write, and use her right hand. What have you lost? What are you willing to lose in order to stay on your current path? I’m done. I surrender and I choose to put my body/health first. Join me today.

Write your comments or questions.  I’d love to hear your story/journey and especially your pledge to put your body first in whatever way suits you.

Blessings,

Lisa

 

 

Welcome Energy; Just Breathe Deeply!

Did you know what simply breathing deeply can increase energy as well as improve mental clarity, focus, and concentration? The power of breathe is available for all of us and in fact, is necessary for us to be alive. Yet, many of us barely breathe and tend to take shallow breaths as if the air were somehow rationed. STOP; it isn’t, we all have ample access to oxygen here on Earth.

Practice: Right now, take 3 slow and deep breaths. Inhale deeply to the count of 5, hold for 3 seconds and then exhale to the count of 10. Practicing this conscious, deep abdominal, breathing daily…heck hourly, will make a tremendous difference in your mood, attitude, and job performance. This practice will reduce stress and anxiety as well as increase the flow of oxygen in the blood which impact every organ and system in the body. This is why exercise is so highly recommended; increased oxygen flow!

So, try this simple breathing exercise today and notice how good it makes you feel. For advanced practices, expand this routine into five or more minutes, or even a meditation. Heck, make it a way of life and check yourself every 15 minutes to become more conscious of your breathing. This simple tool is just as effective as the “power nap” and has added time benefits as well as flexibility in being able to do it while driving, waiting in line, going to the bathroom, or even during sex (aka Tantra). Yes, breathing slowly and deliberately can really intensify pleasure and orgasm which is what Tantra Sex is all about.

So as you can see, deep, abdominal, breathing has many health and joyful benefits. Try it today and let me know how this practice is working in your life.