The greatest gift we can give to ourselves and to those around us is good health; to be healthy at all levels - body, mind and spirit. Achieving this kind of health is seldom easy.
Each day that I can get out of bed, I am blessed. So long as this heart beats, I am blessed to get up and attend to the business of being human as I am committed to cultivate compassion and to trust in faith that intuition can guide my way.
Intuition or 6th sense, is a gift we all have but sometimes our energy is blocked. When we resist our uncomfortable feelings, anxiety can become intense and sometimes overwhelming. If we lean into these feelings and breathe in without making up a story our courage grows and we create space inside to listen deeply to truth.
It is my intention to start each morning centered within from a place of worthiness. Here I am able to face the events of the day with a compassionate heart and to know that no matter what is going on in the outer world, every situation offers me a chance to practice healthy living. Even if I do not accomplish everything on the list that had been created in my mind, can it be enough and most important, can I feel enough? When I do not take care of myself or listen to my heart, I get tired and the flow stops and eventually I get sick.
It was early morning as I raced out of bed with my plan to make scalloped potatoes for the family Easter dinner. I wanted to get a lot done so that I could get to Sunday morning Yoga. During the class I could feel waves of nausea pass through me. I didn't want to feel defeated by the moment of weakness and I kept flowing through my postures, focusing on the practice of being present and also delighting in the fact that my son Luke was on a mat beside me. This was his first class and it was great to see him participating in the exercise.
I had just been sick with a cold for two weeks and I would not give in to these feelings that were trying to wrestle me down onto the mat. Instead I stayed in the energy of a peaceful union with the divine that was flowing in between a sick feeling deep inside.
When the class ended I still held my head up high and thought that I was okay as I communed in the satisfaction of sharing yoga with Luke as we walked home enjoying just being together. Entering in through the door of my house, the smell of baked scalloped potatoes filled the air. The smell of cooked food turned my stomach as I covered my face, still in denial I rushed past the kitchen and fell into bed just for a little while. I will feel better in an hour, I thought to myself. By the time my in- laws arrived the fever and waves of flu hit me like a ton of bricks and I was down for the count as Easter dinner went on without me.
As I lay in bed, I lean into the discomfort of aches and nausea that take over, I feel defeated by this tiny uninvited guest that has entered my body. I surrender to the moment as compassion fills me with the thoughts of others that are sick every day.
I begin to remember being ill for ten or more years, when getting out of bed to feed my children was the greatest of challenges. Years of chemical sensitivities and chronic fatigue was my greatest teacher when one breath of a pollutant would put me into a catatonic state and kept me in bed for days and days. Every day I felt like I had a flu as doctors could not find the answer to my suffering. Months of endless visits to medical doctors finally lead me to listen inward.
As the doctor sat in front of me saying that the only solution was to put me on a tranquilizer, I felt the terror bring me deeply into my body and a voice inside said NO! I bolted out of there as if energy was pushing me. I knew deep inside that in that moment spirit was guiding my way. The shift happened for me as I felt the confidence to trust my gut feelings and not give this doctor the authority.
That day was a turning point as I chose the path less traveled and life unfolded for me in a divine way. I chose to listen inward. Books fell into my hands as my eyes were opened to alternative medicine. There was no turning back as I was directed by a force that spoke to my heart and unleashed the healing within.
Meditation became my medicine as I embraced the parts of my past that were hidden and causing unbalance. As I opened myself up to all of the uncomfortable feelings that were now rising up, I began to let go and surrender to fully being inside myself. I didn't have to be afraid of what was within me. I needed my connection to myself no matter what it felt like. This liberated me.
It is only through the pain and sorrow do we grasp the freedom of fully being here as we begin to experience the blessings of an imperfect life.
These years of searching for health was the beginning of finding my true self as I allowed stillness to bring me out of anxiety. I cultivated a new lifestyle of inner reflection, contemplation, breathing deeply, eating consciously and yoga. I would write for hours and let the flow of spirit fill the pages of my journal. I would ask questions and gently I would connect to an energy that would speak to my heart like a long lost friend. I listened and allowed a higher vibration to fill me up and guide my way into a new and higher perspective. Days were filled with this communication as I began to trust spirit.This was over 25 years ago as I pioneered the path back to wholeness.
The balance within creates a neutral way, like a doorway into the present moment where the silence guides us on our path. This connection to our spiritual being is where the messages of the heart can lead us. Through this connection we can share it with others. Haven't you wondered where that thought came from or those words that just spilled out of your tongue? All of a sudden truth chills, as I call them, move up and down your spine and fills up your whole body and somehow you know that you have lined up with spirit.
It takes a conscious effort to move inward. To neutralize the charge of past energies locked up in the body. These energies are stuck within our tissues like blocks that stop the flow within. This stagnation of energy can cause illness. The triggers of the outside world can help us free these old feelings and thoughts that keep us a prisoner of beliefs that do not serve any longer.
Emotional health can lead to physical healing. We do not need to be afraid of the fear that seems to be a part of this human experience. If we do not run away or deny what is here within us, we can allow it to open us up into more life. With our hearts wide open we can choose to respond with kindness to ourselves or others.
We have a responsibility to ourselves to practice healthy living moment to moment as we clear our own emotional baggage and let go of the judgments that keep the pain and suffering alive. This settles in our bodies and makes us sick. That's why I say, our issues are in our tissues. As the world of events and circumstances continue to spin around us we are given another moment to stay present long enough to receive the truth that expresses life through us.
Health is our birthright and it takes commitment to choose a lifestyle that keeps us aligned with spirit. The best way to be in tune with your intuitive nature is to understand the feedback you get from your physical body. Your body honestly reflects how energy impacts you through all kinds of physical symptoms. If you are in alignment with your soul, then you're going to feel more relaxed and your heart will beat more steadily and your energy will remain high. If you are making poor choices and compromising your heart, your body will communicate this too! Listening to your body can keep you balanced and safe. Your body is the conduit for your higher self and the more you pay attention to it you are accessing your own inner healer. Listen to your body as you create balance for yourself as your 6thsense guides your way.
Blessed Be,
Frannie
Join me at my upcoming Circle of Light Meditation Groups:
Sign up for my 'Opening To Your Sixth Sense' Workshop: http://www.islandyogaspace.com/registerme.php
