Saturday, April 9, 2011

Honor Your Body

As a yoga teacher, I tell my students over and over....honor your body, listen to your body. As a yoga teacher, most days I think I practice what I preach....I eat healthy,exercise, spend lots of time outdoors, meditate, breathe.....but you know like every one else, life happens.

Your plate over flows, the car breaks down, the stress sneaks in, and before you know it, you crash and burn if you're not careful. My body demanded I listen today.
Actually it began last night, with almost unbearable fatigue....and I think maybe I have picked up a bug. But, I have rested, gotten lots of fresh air and had wonderful grilled crab claws, amber jack, oysters and scallops and shrimp tonight. I am about to have a cup of sage tea with honey and lemon....and I have thought a lot today about honoring your body.

I realized that I put a great deal of effort toward my health and well-being. Many are not so lucky....we live on a farm, that means fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs. I have studied health and nutrition as a hobby for years. We drink herb and green tea,
we exercise, we do so many things right....yet Rick and I both deal with some chronic health issues. As the years have gone by, it has become apparent that staying healthy
requires a lot of effort! and even with the best laid plans, you still deal with genetics, past bad habits, and the luck of the draw and as hard as it is to face,
aging.

I have read many studies about stress, several nurses take my community yoga class, and over and over the phrase stress kills comes up. I think that we have let ourselves develop into a nation of worriers, that we have let fear and stress take over our lives, and our physical health as well as our mental health is paying the price. I know that at times stress overtakes our lives, but even at its worst,
we have to take care of ourselves.....we have to honor our bodies.
So, how do we honor.....drinking lots of water, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains......fresh air.....deep breaths....sleep....moving our bodies. Do a news fast,
listen to beautiful music, look up at the sky, find one thing to be grateful for,
hug someone.

Tonight, with all the love in my heart and compassion in my soul.......honor your bodies.

9 comments:

  1. Great post! You are so right.

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  2. Excellent advice Jilda. It is true and I have not been so kind to mine. It's showing it's affect now.

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  3. I just noticed your hubby says he feels tired too. Since you are both tired, it could be the pollen in the air. My sisters, who live together, both get tires and sickly according to the pollen count. Just a thought!

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  4. Just enjoy the silence as you more or less recommended! Good advice!

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  5. I think as we get older our bodies speak a lot louder to us as well.
    Good words to live by.

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  6. I agree, you are right and we need to do it.

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  7. Jilda, couldn't agree with you more. We only get one body, and how we take care of it determines how enjoyable our life will be, at least to a great extent.

    Get some rest - Marsha

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  8. I'm a nurse and I agree, "stress kills". I wish I could be there to take your class. i have taken Yoga in the past and just love it! Now I find myself in a time crunch ALL the time. I feel the stress and would love to take a class again.
    Bet you are marvelous instructor...You go girl!!

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