…So I have had a couple of experiences that have brought what I am about to write about to my attention.  I alluded to it in my previous post when I said, “This is a whole other topic that I should write about in a future post.”  So here I go…

…I guess the best way to lay this out is in a timeline.  First I heard a talk from my IIN module, I cannot remember when, but it was from one of the physician guest speakers who was discussing our bodies being out of balance.  He went on to say something along the lines of how we as a society, more often than not, live our lives at less than ideal and say things like, “Well, this is the way I have always been.  This is normal for me.”  This sounds pretty vague; so let me explain.  What he was talking about and the example he used to create more clarity on this topic was this: a woman patient he saw had been having issues with digestion, constipation, and her bowels.  She reported having a bowel movement only once per week.  She said to him, “Well, this has been happening for years now so this is normal.  If I have a bowel movement once per week, I am regular, that is my regular.”  And his reaction, and mine as I am sure it is going to be yours, was NO!!!  This is not normal.  Our bodies are meant to eliminate waste and toxins on a daily basis.  It is unhealthy to only get rid of toxins once a week.  It is not normal.  And just because this has been happening for years now does not make it “Your normal.”…

…Ok; story number one.  Next thing that happened to me was I realized I was not sleeping very well.  Since about my birthday I have been feeling very lethargic during the day and I realized it was due to being sort of awake during the night when I shift positions.  Now, I could have done what most people might do, which is chalk it up to stress and being busy and say to myself “Well, I just need to get a good night’s sleep and this will all be fine.  It will go away.  I will sleep better soon” and do nothing about it.  Instead, I said to myself that this was not alright.  I was tired and dragging and not feeling like myself so I needed to do something about it.  I decided to try acupuncture for my sleep and energy and am very happy I have done so (content for a future post).  But I felt something was out of balance, was not normal, and I decided to do something about it to make myself more comfortable and balanced…

…Second example down.  Now I went to an event this past weekend for International Suicide Prevention Day.  One of the ladies in my group was feeling very tired and kept telling us about it.  She said to me, “Ugh, I just am so tired.  I have not been sleeping for the past week.  My sinuses are just killing me.”  I realized I was having an experience of a person living out of balance and just dealing with their “abnormal” health.  So I said to her, “Oh, I am sorry you are feeling tired and not getting any sleep.  What are you going to do about it?”  And she sort of looked surprised.  She was like, “Well, I am better during the day and it only happens when I lay down and at night, and I have tried taking things and…”  She really never answered my question and did not seem to have a plan for doing anything about it.   I guess she was just going to settle for this state of “abnormal” and wait it out.  To me, not a good idea…

…Third example down and one more to go.  Today I walked in to work and a co-worker said, “How was your weekend?”  My response was “It was wonderful, thanks for asking.  How was yours?”  And he replied, “Oh it was good until the end of it…”  So I asked, “Well what happened at the end of it?”  And he answered, “Oh I didn’t sleep at all last night.  I had one of those nights, you know, where I was tossing and turning all night and just could not get comfortable.”  (Now I have heard him tell this to other co-workers many times before, so this seems to be a pattern I am observing with him).  I said to him, “Well, what are you going to do about it?”  And AGAIN, as with the other woman, he was sort of surprised and at first said “Get some sleep tonight” and then later “Well, maybe I could invest in those breathing strips, they have helped before.  I don’t know, this only happens once in a while…”  Again, he seemed to be alright with just accepting this poor sleep as his “normal” and was not really set on doing anything about it to balance himself and become healthy…

…I tell these stories not as a way to put other people down, but as proof to what I learned from my IIN class material.  We go about our daily lives accepting the things that create imbalance in us.  We are o.k. with being unhealthy as if it is our “norm.”  And I am here to say- STOP doing this!  Being out of balance and off track is NOT healthy.  It is not normal.  Our bodies are trying to tell us something.  Pay attention to the subtle signs.  Look for the small changes.  And when you see something little know that it is your body’s way of telling you something is going on.  As a society, of busy, rushed, and on-the-go people addicted to technology, we do not slow down.  We do not pay attention to our bodies and our health.  Then we wonder why we develop full-blown illnesses.  I bet a lot of these illnesses and diseases could have been prevented if we only had listened to our bodies in the first place.  I believe that our bodies are extremely intelligent.  They are created that way so that if something is off it is a sign telling us to pay attention to something or take the time to adjust to get it back on track…

…I did not accept the fact that I was not sleeping.  Instead I did something about it.  I was aware of how I was feeling and felt the subtle shift.  I paid attention to what my body was telling me I needed.  And by doing something about it I can happily say that for the past 4 nights I have slept wonderfully and wake up feeling alive and energized.  So my message here is slow down.  Pay attention to your body.  It is trying to tell you something.  And when it does, listen and do something about it.  Do not just accept the imbalance and brush it aside.  It is very important to address these subtle changes as I believe they are directly linked to your overall health and well-being…

What are your reactions to this?  Do you ever notice your body is trying to tell you something?  Or are you moving to fast to even notice?