Master the Art of Listening to Your Body

A Healthy Body

When your body is nourished, exercised, and well cared for, it tells you.

Your body feels calm. It is unreactive and does not startle easily, but instead moves with ease and steadiness.

Your body feels relaxed. It is rested and light.

Your body feels strong. It moves without strain or unnecessary effort.

When your body is functioning optimally, you do not need to focus on it. It simply exists in balance.

To listen to a healthy body is, in many ways, to not need to listen at all. Your body is doing what it is meant to do and doing so efficiently. With optimal physical functioning, your concentration, memory, and creativity thrive. When less mental energy is directed toward physical discomfort, more is available for clarity and cognitive sharpness.

An Unhealthy Body

Similarly, when your body is not well, it makes itself known.

You may feel weak instead of strong.

You may feel anxious instead of calm.

Your nervous system may feel constantly activated, as though you are living in a state of fight or flight. In this state, your body is surviving rather than thriving.

You may become ill more frequently, as your immune system weakens. In response to discomfort, you may seek short term relief such as painkillers, substances, or avoidance. However, these do not address the root issue. The state of survival continues until the underlying imbalance is resolved.

Stress Talks to You

When you experience stress, your body carries it. You may try to convince yourself that you are fine, but your body often tells a different story. This is not unique to humans. It is an inherent characteristic of living systems.

For example, Bisong Guo and Andrew Powell (2007) describe an experiment involving mice placed in a safe, low stress environment. When exposed to sudden, mildly unpleasant stimuli, the mice exhibited immediate physiological stress responses. These included increased cortisol levels, adrenal strain, shrinking of the thymus gland, and reduced T cell production, all of which indicate immune  suppression.

When stress is prolonged or poorly managed, two common physiological responses may occur:

Rise of Lactic Acid in Blood

This may present as cold hands and feet or difficulty maintaining warmth. Over time, individuals in chronic stress may begin to see this discomfort as normal rather than recognizing it as a signal from the body that change is needed.

High Levels of Cortisol

Cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone, plays an important role in helping the body respond to challenges. However, consistently high levels, often caused by chronic physical or emotional stress, can suppress the immune system and contribute to long term health issues.

When We Can’t Hear Our Bodies

In today’s society, burnout is often normalized and even admired.

Working overtime.
Constant social engagement.
Intense physical exertion.
Continuous deadlines.

This level of busyness occupies the very systems that require stillness in order to be heard. Our bodies may be signaling distress, sometimes quietly and sometimes urgently, but we do not slow down enough to listen.

Imagine allowing yourself intentional rest. A period where you are not focused on productivity, deadlines, or expectations, but instead simply exist.

In that space, your body begins to speak more clearly.

You may notice heaviness behind your eyes.
Tension in your stomach.
Tightness in your muscles.

In these moments, you begin to hear your body again.

Three States of Awareness

As explained by Guo and Powell (2007)

Balanced Awareness (The Healthy State)

The person with balanced awareness has effortless concentration on what is relevant to their health and well-being. Events, people, and information that are extra noise, or an invitation to stress, do not concern them or even enter their mind. This person has a strong immune system, is unlikely to fall ill, and is in tune with their body. Even the slightest warning that their health is under the weather will be noticed, and their body will know what to do to return to homeostasis.

Emerging Imbalance (Stress and Disconnection)

The person with emerging imbalance is often taken by surprise. They may think that everything is fine, but if they were to slow down, even slightly, and listen to their body, they would become aware of an underlying problem. This person is listening too little to their internal needs and too much to the noise of life. This is often the result of a build-up of stress, whether emotional or physical. Stress can develop gradually, and without identifying it and taking action, it will worsen. The remedy may be as simple as slowing down, sleeping earlier, and improving diet. Without recognizing that they are out of balance, however, they may miss this opportunity for an easier fix and require more intensive intervention.

Severe Imbalance (System Breakdown)

The person with severe imbalance may feel as though their body is under attack. The communication system has been so neglected that the body’s signals have gone unheard for too long. This person is often consumed by external stress, with little awareness of their disconnection from internal needs. They may feel restless, irritable, insomniac, or anxious. However, with proper support and guidance, this person can return to balanced awareness and a state of health.

Protecting the Balance

According to Guo and Powell (2007), the following steps are simple ways to reach and maintain a state of balanced awareness: 

• Before attempting a task, sit down, close your eyes, take one long exhale, and allow your body to relax. Use this moment to listen to your body. Ask yourself whether it is ready to begin or if it needs rest.

• Leave gaps between tasks throughout your day. Avoid rushing from one task to another.

• If you feel the need to nap, allow yourself to do so. This is your body indicating that it has not had sufficient rest and has been operating on high alert.

• Set aside one day each week with no schedule or plan. Let this be a day where you listen to what your body wants to do.

• Every morning and evening before sleep, do a body scan. Observe both what your body looks like, such as reactions or rashes, and what your body feels like, such as tension or discomfort.

• If your body and mind feel out of sync, do not force activity. Change your plans, reschedule if needed, and wait until your body and mind are in agreement.

Reference

Guo, B., & Powell, A. (2007). Listen to your body: The wisdom of the Dao. North Atlantic Books.