|
I want to thank everyone who responded last week to the Reflections on questions without answers. I suspect that answers, when they come, will arise out of the collective experiences and perspectives that we share. They surely don't come to me when talking to myself at 3:00 in the morning!
We hear a lot these days about listening to our bodies. My body is currently speaking in gibberish (or, perhaps something is amiss with my inner hearing). In any case, we aren't connecting. My body allegedly knows why it's upset and what it wants. My mind is, however, unable to access the message.
The rational brain is not always the best source of answers like these. It focuses on logical connections between what it knows and any new challenge it faces. Sometimes, the new challenge calls for a different kind of connection. It calls for creativity. The creative function and the rational function reside in different parts of the brain. I am looking for ways to tap into the creative center that sees things in a fresh new way.
The rational brain also has problems on the emotional plane: the brain cannot analyze and empathize at the same time. Since even our physical challenges have an emotional component, it is important to look beyond reason for answers that work. Emotional challenges respond to compassion--the compassion of others and compassion for ourselves. When I focus exclusively on finding rational solutions, my emotional self is starved for attention and screams even louder to claim its share.
The dialogue between my mind and body (about coughing, congestion, difficulty speaking, and other aspects of "whatever-it-is") is broadening. I am gradually releasing the urge to analyze, and opening my mind to creative options. I am acknowledging the emotional impact and giving myself nurturing support as I take one step forward and two back. I am learning patience and tolerance with myself and with others. I am gaining new insights into how mind and body work together in sickness and in health.
We are remarkably complex and wonderous beings who function on many levels, both conscious and unconscious. As we listen to our bodies, listen to our emotions, listen for the intuitive answer, listen to the wise inner voice, we gradually open to the many dimensions available for working through life's challenges.
Meditation, beautiful music, time spent in nature, physical activity, bodywork, sufficient rest, and warm connections with others can help us tap into the creative and empathetic centers of the brain. I am paying more attention to those elements as I work my way through the current health challenges.
Do you have any favorites that you would like to share?
| 
