Body Communication—Learning from Illness and Injury
I don’t seem to get sick that much—not since the days of having a young child in the petri dish of daycare and elementary school. But when I do get sick, I try to listen to my body. It’s easy to become grumpy about the lost time and missing out on events and experiences. At the same time, it’s a unique opportunity to experience your mind-body-spirit in different (and challenging) circumstances. It can be similar for injuries. Yes, they can be painful, slow you down, and prevent you from engaging in certain activities. But they also force you to be more mindful and listen to your body.
Sleep
As I write this (May 2024), I am experiencing a rare summer cold. Not very intense, but enough to keep me home for a few days. Even at home and not doing that much, I feel very tired. So, listening to my body, I’m trying to sleep a lot. I LOVE that aspect of being sick—sleeping as much as you can sleep. This is a clear case of your body telling you that the best thing you can do to overcome the virus is sleep the day away. And I do what I’m told! Sleeping is one of my favorite activities anyway (see here and here). Additionally, sleep is directly tied to health in many ways—enough so that you’re much more likely to have health problems if you’re not getting enough sleep. Some consider sleep a luxury, but in so many ways, it’s clearly not. The fact that it’s so incredibly enjoyable is just icing on the cake.
Injury
Injuries are also a great way to tune in to your body in various ways. The most obvious is how the injury happened. Many people go through life without a high level of awareness of their bodies. They bump into things and trip over things and generally don’t know where their bodies stop and the rest of the world starts. When you injure yourself, you‘ve let that lack of awareness affect your physical wholeness. As you start to recover by moving carefully through life by necessity—to ensure that you don’t reinjure yourself. You may reflect on how the injury happened and what you might do to prevent it in the future. If you listen to your body and are mindful in recovery, you may find that you have enhanced your physical grace. Regardless, when you’ve recovered from your injury, you are likely a different physical person than before you were injured, and for most of us, that is a very good thing.
When it’s serious
Of course, not all ailments are as easy as a summer cold or a sprained ankle. Some illnesses are life-threatening, and some injuries are permanently disabling. I would never pretend these circumstances are similar to those one can overcome quickly. They are tragic, and I don’t presume to understand what people who experience these health challenges go through. Like most, I know people who have had serious illnesses and injuries and am invariably inspired by how well they and their loved ones handle them. They find a way by leaning heavily on love, humor, and mutual support. I am amazed by the grace with which they handle these impossible situations.
Your body is always talking to you. Sometimes, the message is clear, other times, it is unintelligible, but all you can do is listen and try to respond in a positive, productive way that enhances your health and contributes to your life.
