How do you feel lately? Do you have a lot on your mind – heavy work schedule, kids involved in too many activities? Life has many stressors, which oftentimes brings aches and pains, fatigue, and illness to the body. But before you go and take a pill to alleviate your discomforts, think about this: your body is an incredible machine that is trying to communicate with you.

At first it will whisper, then as you ignore it, it will speak louder and louder until it finally shouts. It wants your attention so you can address its underlying issues. So pause for a moment and tune in to these messages your amazing body is sending you.

Although many aches and pains are caused by injuries or other physiological factors, oftentimes they can be driven by metaphysical means. Consider this in the following scenarios:

Are you trying to make a big decision, and you notice a sore throat? Your body may be telling you that you’re not using both your head and your heart. The neck is what connects these two important organs, so use both your intellect and your feelings for a satisfying solution. Also, throat represents your “voice”. Maybe it’s time to speak up about something.
Do you have chronic shoulder pain? If it’s your left side, perhaps there are family issues that need your attention. You right side signals financial stress.
Do you see a chiropractor about regular low back pain (sacroiliac sprains)? Your body possibly wants you to reexamine your circumstances – is this really the right job for you? Are you forcing yourself into a situation where you really don’t belong?
Do you struggle with constipation? Ask yourself these questions: Do I “hold on to things?” Do I have a hard time “letting things go?”

I once heard about a woman who was rushed to the ER for a heart attack. After being examined and tested for treatment, it was determined that there was no heart attack. The perplexed doctors did not know what to make of it – she had every symptom, but no medical trace of this event. It was later learned that this woman’s daughter had died recently, and this woman was (literally) broken-hearted. There is actually a pretty accurate name for this condition – “broken heart syndrome”. Just another way that the body mirrors the underlying emotions.

So the next time you get a headache, or you feel muscle tension in the body, reflect on the things that are going on in your life. Take a minute to understand what your body is telling you. The more you learn to pay attention to these important signals, the more empowered you will be to correct them. How does that make you feel?

“A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world.” - John Locke

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