A Lesson from my Puppy
The other morning I was sitting in our kitchen doing something important like Facebooking. My dog, Achilles, had the audacity to put on her whiny pants. So I put her outside. Tied to a tree. Ahhh… problem solved. Back to cat videos.
A few minutes later I looked out the window. There she was sitting ON TOP of the picnic table so she could look at me. “Excuse me!!! Food Girl!!”
It was pretty cute, even though it was wrong. I’m mostly sure we’d been over this rule, but maybe she had forgotten.
I loved her persistence. She wanted my attention. No rope, window, or tree could keep her from flagging me down.
I instantly had fodder for this article.
It’s all about attention
I believe our bodies are constantly trying to get our attention, to be witnessed. We have these nagging concerns: aches and pains, gas, bloating, headaches, hot flashes, etc.
Our symptoms are like my poor pup – desperately trying to make us look. For if we look, then maybe we’ll start to see what the heck our symptoms are all about.
On a subtle level our bodies can act as guides for our (jivin’) health, and our (thrivin’) lives. That is if we know how to listen. And choose accordingly.
And did those intellectually “right” choices feel good? Did you suck something up? Did you squelch something down? Did you know on a level that was deeper than the facts that it wasn’t right for you?
There are two ways to make a choice
By thinking or feeling. You know, gut instincts?
Our digestive tracts are surrounded by a rich, vast nerve supply and produce the majority of the neurotransmitters in the body. Maybe there is more to these gut feelings, after all. Some pretty cool contemporary science is showing just how visceral these instincts actually are.
We can think out a decision. Carefully weigh the pros and cons. Build a spreadsheet or two. Extrapolate outcomes. Look at the numbers. Listen to advice of experts or loved ones.
The brain can convince us of anything. The brain “shoulds” all over us. You should, should, should, should, do this, this, this, this, and oh yes, that. The brain can find reasons for any behavior.
But then there is that pup, on the picnic table, or that headache or that bloating trying to get us to notice and experience the discontent, so that we can change the circumstances.
Think of intuition as a muscle – it needs to be strengthened like any other in the body. How is this even possible? Let me show you two ways you can grow to trust your body’s instincts.
1. The Coin Toss
Yep. It’s that simple. It seems trivial but it’s a great exercise.
- Take a decision. I’d start first with something small: should I eat chicken for supper?
- Assign yes to either heads or tails and no to the other.
- Take three deep breaths into the belly.
- Ask the question.
- Flip the coin.
- Look.
You have THREE seconds to FEEL what it would feel like if your supper (or future) were determined by the flip of the coin.
What do you notice about how you feel? Do you feel light? Airy? Expansive? Inspired? Chicken is probably a good bet.
Do you feel heavy? Grumpy? Did your posture change? Do you detect any nausea or distaste?
Might want to find another dinner option.
After three seconds the brain chimes in. But chicken is full of protein, and you did a big workout today. It’s already defrosted in the fridge and needs to be eaten. Blah, blah, blah, should, should, should.
Three seconds. That’s all you get. The more you do this the more quickly the answers come, often even before the coin toss. You start to recognize the physiological changes just by pondering the question.
2. The Paper World
- This is a similar idea.
- Take two pieces of paper and put them both on the floor a few feet away from each other. Each paper represents the world of each outcome.
- Take three deep breaths into the belly.
- Step on to the first paper.
- Immerse yourself in that world. Smell what you smell, notice what you see, feel, hear, taste…
- Now notice how your
body responds
- to that immersion.
Do the same for the second piece of paper.
How is this second outcome different?
(Tweet, but only if it FEELS right.)
Should I move to Paris? Should I break up with my boyfriend? Should I leave my job? Should I make a go of doing my art full time?
The answers aren’t out there with the experts, and the experience of others. They are not in the numbers or the data.
They are in you. Your gut response to the world around you. And if you’re not paying attention to how and what your body is trying to communicate with you, it’s very likely you’re going to get sick to some degree, whether it’s physically, mentally or emotionally.
When I went outside with my stern face on, Achilles knew that she was in the dog house (except she was outside). I didn’t even have to tell her, “NO!” She knew it was wrong, but she had to get me to notice her.
Just like our symptoms. Do you think our bodies like being uncomfortable or depressed? Likely not. But they need your attention.
Pep Talk
The beauty is you get to decide what works for you and what doesn’t. You get to decide how the story of your life unfolds. But it starts first with that internal dialogue. You deserve to be healthy, happy and doing what you love. Listening to your internal yeses and nos is a very good place to start.
I’d love to hear how the experiments went for you. With what decision did you try the exercises? What did you notice? Leave a comment below with your IN-sights. Or simply – what are you putting up with?
Here’s to your gut-deciding, jivin’ Health and thrivin’ Life,
Dr. Tonia
