Written version.

Today is all about that blessed, wonderful, sweet, beautiful, intelligent body of yours.

OK, if right now the thought of your body being all of those things is being challenged in your mind, I want you to know, that’s completely normal and understandable.  Take this as today’s first nudge to send yourself a dose of compassion.

Most human beings living on this planet will have some less-than-kind thoughts about their body.  There’s always something to change, tweak or improve upon, according to the mainstream, right?

Then there’s that extra level of body related mind gunk that we folk living with chronic illness carry around with us, for as long as we don’t practice otherwise.

All of that gunk - the thoughts of our bodies being akin to seconds in a knock off shop, or used toys thrown to the back of the cupboard; being broken, out of balance, malfunctioning, misfiring - implant a hefty sense of mistrust and disconnect with our bodies, deep within our brains.

I mean, that’s the whole thing driving the industry created by the desire to ‘fix’ chronic illness!

I spent yeeeears trying to rebalance and re-calibrate this body of mine, which I believed to be broken.  I always felt on the edge of success with it all - just one more tweak, one more thing, and I’d be there.  But of course, I never got there, because that’s the nature of that particular game.

So I’m calling BS on it all.

Because now I choose to really, deeply, truly believe, and know, that all that goes on with my chronic illness isn’t a reflection of my body being broken, it’s evidence that my body is an incredibly intelligent being that’s in constant conversation with me…and it 100% has my back

The level of trust that brings about is real.

Now it’s important to be mindful of the energy behind that conversation, because it can be heard in two ways:  

One drives the ‘fix it’ behaviour - the edge I spent years on - because it comes from a place of lack, of non-acceptance, of blame, of wanting to be in a different place to the one you’re in now; 

‘Here’s this pain, it’s here because I’m not doing something right, because I’m not getting something right, and it’s in my way.  To make it go away so that I can get on with things/my life, I need to be better, I need this extra thing, I need to be different.’

And that’s not cool.  To feel shaky about who you are on a fundamental level leads to you questioning the belief and trust you have in yourself and your body.  It has you doubting your ability to do the things you want to do in this life, just as you are…and that hurts!

So I want to introduce you to the other path.  The one on which you not only listen, but hear, the conversation your body is having with you.  The one that shows you another way to see your symptoms - and the way your body feels and responds - in any given moment.

So when you’re ready, go ahead and close your eyes.  Take a deep nourishing breath in through your nose, maybe even placing your hand over your heart-space, then let it all go with a long, clearing, sigh.

With care, bring to mind any pain or discomfort you might be feeling right now; whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally or energetically.  Settle on one thing.

What words or thoughts would you usually associate with this feeling?  Maybe it’s anger, like a feeling of your body being unhappy and frustrated with you.  Maybe it’s disappointment and frustration…as if you’re here again?!  Perhaps it’s worry and anxiety over what’s going wrong this time.  Or sheer exhaustion and fatigue, like you’re just about chugging along, an engine cobbled together with mis-fitting parts.

I want you to know that all of these thoughts and feelings are valid.  So rather than shutting them down, trying to push past them so you can carry on with whatever it is you’re doing, I want you to look within them, as deeply as feels good and safe.

What’s beneath that anger, frustration, inflammation, pain?  How about looking at it as your body’s way of nurturing?  Could it be a compassionate boundary?  A call for love and care?  Could it be your body asking you to meet it halfway?

With that in mind, could you try approaching it with an open heart, asking what it - what you - need?  Softening, and trusting that in that compassionate conversation you’ve just had with your body, it’s completely got you.

Now let everything go and just sit with that for a minute.

Thank you for being here with me - and with yourself - today.