The Wisdom of the Body

Day 64

Affirmation:

I listen to the wisdom of my body and respect my body’s need for regular rest.

When I am tired, I stop.

When I am sleepy, I sleep.

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Everyone seems to like the idea of finding balance in this manic, fast-paced world but we often forget that part of balance is rest.   Our bodies are the vehicles for our experiences, the bearers of our minds, hearts, and souls.  We can’t experience harmony when we ignore our bodily need for rest.  In a get-it-done-yesterday, more-is-better,  modern world, we like to override the natural need for rest with chemicals or by simply ignoring the message our body is sending.  When the body is tired and we ignore it, we put it into stress, and that can lead to trouble down the road.   We need to listen to the wisdom of the body.  It knows best what it needs to keep going optimally.   Instead of coffee or an energy drink – both meant to keep us going when the body wants otherwise – we’d do better to stop for ten minutes and meditate or take a cat nap.  When it comes to sleep,  the physical body functions best on a regular sleep schedule.  The number of hours needed varies from person to person, but consistency is ideal.  A body listened to and allowed to rest regularly and consistently is a body that will perform optimally.  The body will always tell us what it needs.  And if we learn to listen now, it might not have to scream, “STOP!” in some unpleasant way, later on.