Listening to Your Body

Last weekend, I spent a long weekend with my wife and eight other friends in beautiful Carmel, California. Most of us get together on a monthly basis to meditate and dine together for a shabbos celebration.

One of the main topics we talked about was listening to your body because your body never lies. Your mind might tell you to do something or say something, but you know in your gut that it is the wrong thing to do. But you go ahead and do it anyway. Often, you go on to regret that decision and say to yourself, “I should have done…” Has this happened to you?

When you do listen to that gut feeling in your body, you know it is right for you and you most often don’t make a mistake.

Scientists have discovered that there is a gut feeling in every cell of your body. They are discovering that our gut is a nervous system on its own which is potentially more powerful than the central nervous system.

Our cells have the ability to think for themselves and help us make the right decisions. All we have to do is get our minds out of their way and begin listening to our bodies.

Here is what you should do:

Go inside and listen to your body, because your body will never lie to you. Your mind will play tricks, but the way you feel in your heart, in your guts, is the truth.

– Don Miguel Ruiz

All of our friends who were with us in Carmel are on a spiritual path of one kind or another. You could see the principle of listening to your body in action by the choices we made when we didn’t have a scheduled event together.

On a rainy Saturday morning, three of us men decided to go for a walk in Point Lobos State Reserve. We hiked the treacherous path down towards Seal Rock. By the time we got to the closest possible point to Seal Rock, the rain had stopped.

Point Lobos – Seal Rock
By Jerome Freedman, © 10/25/2014

The tide was rushing in and the waves were more turbulent than any other time I’ve been to Point Lobos. The colors, height, and violence of the waves inspired us to experience the four elements as they manifested in the moment.

We were sitting on rocks that had been naturally cemented together – the earth element. The incoming tide threatened to spray us with each splash over the rocks below – the water element. The sun was coming out – the fire element. And the air was as fresh as it gets by the pacific ocean – the air element.

We were in our element and enjoyed the bonding we experienced with love and affection in our hearts. We were able to bring this all back to the group when we had brunch together.

Are you skilled at listening to your body? Do you often ignore your gut feelings? What happens when you do? What happens when you don’t? Please explain!

Here is the boxed set of books by Don Miguel Ruiz on my bookshelf:

Books by Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements Toltec Wisdom Collection: 3-Book Boxed Set by Don Miguel Ruiz Rooted in traditional Toltec wisdom beliefs, four agreements in life are essential steps on the path to personal freedom. As beliefs are transformed through maintaining these agreements, shamanic teacher and healer don Miguel Ruiz asserts lives will “become filled with grace, peace, and unconditiona… [Read More…]