COME HOME TO YOUR BODY
9--28-2008

Somewhere I heard the phrase “come home to your body” and it stayed with me. I have been looking at it through the lens of the different spiritual concepts I have studied.

A couple of groups seem to deny the very existence of the body. They seem to be afraid that you cannot heal yourself or others unless you totally see yourself as a spiritual being. In my opinion, denial of the body is a resistance to reality. Resistance always creates friction and friction is never a healing thing.

My first thought about the body is respect the body and it will respond to you. Every time I have ever done anything for my body, it has responded beautifully. I remember when I quit smoking. After an uncomfortable period of detoxing, I was overwhelmed by the way my body responded. My lungs and sinuses completely cleared up in a few weeks. My voice had a better timbre. I could sleep without hearing my sinuses whistle and my lungs rattle. It was simply wonderful. My body was saying “thank you for loving me enough to take better care of me.”

My second thought is the body has an intelligence of its own. The human body has been around for billions of years. It has learned a lot. The mouth has learned how to break down foods if you will keep foods there long enough for it to do its work. The heart has learned how to oxygenate the entire body if you will not clog its channels and will exercise just enough to keep it strong. Every part of the body has learned an encyclopedia of processes and all you have to do it not interfere with those things it knows how to do.

The third fact is that you can learn to stay in communication with your body. All it takes is awareness. Just notice how different foods affect your body. If your body doesn’t like any of them, it will tell you. Just don’t take some pill that stops your stomach from doing what it is supposed to do. Those all-day anti-acid pills shut down the voice of your body. They not only should not be advertised on TV, they should be avoided at all times. If acid is a problem, cut down on acid-producing foods (mainly meats and grains) and increase your intake of alkaline foods (fruits and vegetables).

I keep a half dozen different kinds of nuts by my computer. They are good for the body. But all nuts are acid forming except almonds. So I always eat some almonds as I eat other nuts to keep an acid/alkaline balance

Forget the TV ads. Don’t ask your doctor. Ask your body. Eat and then listen to your body report back how it likes or dislikes what you have eaten. Same thing with supplements and drugs.

The times you need to talk to your doctor are when you abuse your body, need special help to restore it, when it needs repairs, or when you need to tap into the specialized knowledge your doctor may possess. It is good to keep in mind that most medical schools only offer one course in nutrition and none in structural analysis (chiropractic). So study nutrition and within a few months you will know more about it than most doctors. Keep a good chiropractor so your spine will stay aligned.

Yes, a chiropractor can hurt you and so can a doctor or druggist. Your intelligence is always needed to weigh risks as you manage your health.

Finally, your body can be your partner in your spiritual development. Your eyes can help your soul take in the glory of a sunrise or a sunset. Your ears can expand your soul with the glory of music. Your mouth can taste the sweetness of your soul mate. When it is right, you will never do anything in this life more spiritual than making love.