The Body Made for More than Aching

Awakening:  a coming into awareness. (n)

My body is with me all the time. But, I am not all the time with my body. This week I was awakened to this truth as I joined hands with God to participate in the healing He said was for me.

You see, just the week before I was sitting in a doctor’s office hearing the results of several tests I had taken. She said things were mostly well, then she paused and said, “You’ve got to get your blood sugar under control.” She didn’t know it, but I had heard those words before. Priding myself in taking good care of my body--being attentive to what I eat--I had rejected them. The numbers didn’t seem fair. But this time I heard God say, “Listen (truly hear) that you may be well.” Hearing Him knock on the door of my heart and offer safety in facing the truth with Him, along with the hope of healing, I began to ask questions of my doctor. What should I do? She recommended some dietary changes and the addition of two days per week of exercise to support building muscle strength.

By faith I received the help God was extending to me in the counsel of my doctor, enlisted the support of my nutrition savvy brother and began my targeted exercise. One week down and many more to go. But, the simple things become ingredients for a miracle when God breathes on them.

So there I was in my exercise class, moving in agreement with the directives of my instructor. She said move this, and I moved this. She said move that, and I moved that. And though I was under strict manners I came to experience a sense of liberty and joy, which all this time had escaped my body as it moved according to an uninspired schedule dictated by involuntary movements and muscle memory. There is something inherently self-loving about choosing to move your body and knowing that the purpose for which you move is good. It is to be awakened to the reality that your body is with you and for you to respond by choosing to be present with your body.  

As I moved, every step filled with the expectation of healing. As I moved I found my heart warmed and sensations strange and beautiful filling my body. It was the first time, in a long time, that I had been aware of my body outside of aching. I mourned at the sadness of such a realization-- a kind of emptying. And with space made by that emptying, found childlike expectation fluttering in to make me wonder about delight and pleasure again--not just work, discipline and sacrifice. Delight.

Cheers to Delight!
Choose to move your body to fulfill the good and pleasing purpose of healing. You don’t have to be healing from a disease. You could be healing from the effects of busyness, stress or unprocessed trauma on your body. Self-massage is a simple way to incorporate purposeful, multi-sensory, healing movement into your life. It can be done anywhere, alone and at no to little cost. Enjoy our simple routine for self-massage daily! 

Want to enhance our proposed daily routine? Checkout this quick tutorial on simple self-massage strokes:

Want to learn how to make your own massage oil? Checkout this quick tutorial from the trusted DIY guide of Humblebee & Me (click the video details for complete recipe and detailed step-by-step instructions:

Happy temple building!

Take care. Bless many.