One morning Max, (who could be any of us), woke up feeling overwhelmed by his financial situation: taxes and ongoing payments he had to cover on one hand, and lack of income on the other. Realizing this, he began to express it out loud to his wife by saying: "I feel terrified...", was the phrase he repeated two or three times during the course of the morning, "…that's how I feel, terrified. I do not know how else to describe it, I literally feel terrified.”

Early afternoon that day, Max began to experience something that alarmed him even more: his muscles began to contract involuntarily and gradually, up to a state of continuous spasms, this time around, specifically on the left side of his upper body (he had experienced a milder version of this on his right upper chest 3 weeks prior). The spasms spanned from the neck and traveled down to the lower back. They were debilitatingly painful, preventing him to move at times. He was in excruciating pain and literally frozen by it. Max could barely breathe because when inhaling, the interior muscles’ tension would increase the pain and hence constrict his breathing mechanism. Of course, the terror was pronounced and enforced by not quite understanding what was going on in his body...

WHAT WAS THE BODY EXPRESSING?

The emotion he described was "terror". And terror paralyzes. Many people carry their “burdens” or the “burdens of the world or others” on their shoulders, and the emotions associated with the lack of financial support in their lower backs. In our heart we feel fear when the vibration of love is absent.

Throughout his week-long inner process, while Max's mind was engaged in his creative work on his computer the pain was greatly diminished. As soon as he consciously engaged in the mental gyrations associated with being focused on: "threat", “lack”, “worry” the feeling of “anguish” etc., the physical crisis manifested itself in his "internal cramps" or spasms that would run through his upper body as a painful wave of tension and contractions. 

Having been on the path of inner work for many years, and knowing what he knows about himself by now, when shifting to an intuitive approach, engaging in a positive internal dialogue, he began to express affirmations and auto suggestions like "Everything is fine. Calm down, everything is going to be fine, you are not having a heart attack, this is not MS…". After focused and conscious applications of these simple techniques, combined with conscious deep breathing, he slowly began to relax and find temporary relief. But as soon as he engaged in his worrisome thoughts, the associated feelings would return and the pain would manifest even more intensely. By continuing to consciously work through his blockages over the following days, Max regained his full mobility and entered a new orbit on his life’s path. He now knows what to look out for, his body told him in no unmistaken ways, loud and clear. He has been listening since, and more importantly, he is pro-active.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU?

Like the story you just read, there are countless people experiencing symptoms and suffering that originates in their minds. Or perhaps yourself, does the above sound somewhat familiar to you? Do you see any parallels? By briefly glancing into Max's story we realize the direct relationship that exists between the symptom and the way in which our mind is interpreting life, and how it makes us feel or experience it, in this case clearly interfering with or blocking the healthy processes of the body.

HOW CAN YOU CHANGE THIS TENDENCY?

Our practice of connecting with ourselves and what we truly need begins with attending to the simplest signs of the body: hunger, thirst, satiety, the need for rest or sleep; and then to supply them in a coherent and timely fashion. And to do the same with emotions: that is, to feel them and discover what thought is behind such concern as sadness, anger or frustration and then to try and understand where those ideas or thoughts are coming from. At what point in your childhood did you assume this information as being true, turning it into the basis of your interpretation and reaction to life?

Ask yourself: since when have I been feeling this same fear? You may discover that the vast majority of these negative and painful emotions come from experiences and messages that we were told when we were children and assumed as our truth. They programed our perspective and built a specific and limited lens of seeing the world and feeling life in such way.

Being aware, we can learn to discern between what is part of me and what is only part of the heavy luggage that we have been carrying for years by paying attention to the "inner traffic light" of our intuition, so that we can truly know what to follow and what to let go. Simply put: when your feeling is of love, inspiration, joy and creativity, it is something that is aligned with your essential Being. But when your emotions are of fear, frustration, anger, depression, guilt or shame, the thoughts behind them are not aligned with your true Self.

Our suggestion for you today is to begin paying attention to your intuition. You will see that once you start doing it, everything begins to flow in perfect synchrony. It's amazingly simple, almost like a cosmic joke. Exactly what you need will manifest through an insight, a call, an email, a meeting… Excellent and creative ideas and solutions will sprout, and opportunities directly related to what you are developing will arise. You will see open doors and possibilities like never before...

And the exact opposite happens when we are basing our decisions only on what the mind tells us to do with all its interferences that generate feelings of separation, desolation and fragmentation. These manifest through creative blockages, constant abuses, messiness, annoyances, frustration, broken relationships and dreams…generating stress and more stress.

These two modes or directions, love or fear, expansion or contraction, flow or resistance, are the compass that brings you closer to who you truly are, to your mission or missions, and to your happiness. Begin by listening to your body. What is it expressing to you? The body begins by expressing quietly, and if you do not pay attention to it, it talks louder and louder until it stops in its tracks, and from that vulnerability and fragility it prompts you to take the time to look at it, to look at yourself and to ask yourself: What is it? What do I want for and from my life? How would I love to live and feel? And then to start making the changes. Everything is possible. It just takes a re-focus and different look from a changed perspective. A time tested axiom is: Where thought goes, energy flows.

YOUR HEALTH CANNOT BE POSTPONED

Do not wait until it is too late and the body needs to scream at you. Often the body begins by expressing symptoms of gastritis, and if you ignore what you need to change in your life, it may be followed by a colitis… If you insist on not paying attention to what your Being needs, it may be followed by a diabetes type 2, and then possibly with different types of cancers. Your body knows and speaks. Listen.

If you would like to live a healthy and wholesome life, the invitation is to listen to your intuition. And if you are not used to it begin by listening to your body. It always gives you the clear manifestation of what is happening within, which many times you cannot see because it is something that is hidden in the shadow of your unconscious (which is the part of the mind that houses what we do not want to see or accept about ourselves).

And once you have adapted the practice of listening to yourself, then shape and apply your thoughts and the sound of your voice in affirmative words of love and life, words of unity and creation that resonate with your own nature. You can begin today to create a new inner dialogue as Max did. And if the precise words or phrases do not come to your mind, here are a few examples that can get you started. Moreover, I invite you to listen to these guided meditations that will give you a clear idea of how to start your own conscious dialogue, which will trigger the whole process of inner transformation towards your true and profound happiness. And if you want to take a step further, consider having a custom personalized meditation created just for you.

Either way, enjoy the process and have fun with it, always remembering the power of your own mind.

This article was written by Gaby de la Mora and can also be found on her website which promotes a variety of aspects related to Psychotherapy, Counseling, Life Coaching, and Sound Therapy