be silent, be still....

"shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......"

Over the last few days, maybe even week- I have been in quiet mode. Not that I am going around "shushing" other people, but I have more or less done that to myself. While all the noise is going on around me, I have taken a step back and listened. Not that I do not want to be part of the noise, but I want to be observant of the noise. This is the noise happens around us all the time and sometimes we choose to be part of it and sometimes we choose to ignore it, but rarely do we choose to observe it from a third party perspective. I have appreciated doing this over the last few days.

The noise around us is telling of who we are as individuals. What kind of environment do we surround our selves by? How can we harness the noise, and become one with it, to allow us a leap to our next endeavor? These are the curious questions that have come about from observing the noise. This noise has taken various forms... rain drops, car alarms, peoples footsteps, t.v. commercials and sirens, to name a few. The noise takes different shapes and sizes. What do they all mean and why are these noises happening, both independently and collectively?



This period of quiet time has started this wave of observation for me... and in a simple way I am learning more about me and tuning into the noises that I myself produce. My noises are not all pleasant, but the truth is I have to know about them for myself and address them from there.

At the end of the day, if when being observant the outcome is a pleasant listen of a light rainfall on the trees outside ones window... then consider that a win.

Honoring the body-

From the moment we can comprehend we know the body sends us signals about our well-being. As a toddler, the sound of a fart made us develop uncontrollable laughter... although that might continue into adulthood. The crackle of our voice in middle school, well something was evidently changing there. As time changes the body sends signals of pain and of joy, emotional and physical. We indulge in various activities that cause for a certain emotion and feeling to be produced within our body. Some feelings and emotions are not necessarily welcome, but they still send us a signal of how we are doing.

I have recently become a victim to a whirlwind of feelings within my own body. In training for the marathon I have managed to injure my IT Band and my TFL on my right leg. Soon after I started regularly doing yoga and then I came down with a cold/ upper respiratory infection, which has by now lasted for 3-weeks. Is my body trying to tell me something? I recently went to the doctor and realized that I have been to URGENT care 3 times this year. I tend to think of myself as a healthy, non-sickly person, but I guess my body begs to differ. It is at times like this that reassessing my routines and taking into consideration the smoke signals that are being sent to me via IT band and phlegm are truly important.

Our bodies are indeed wonderlands. we need to take time to listen carefully to the wants and needs of the body- truly and honorably care for one's self by simply listening to the body and not abusing it when it is sending signals, or ever for that matter. I pledge that from here on out, I will listen to my body and work to make it a better functioning machine for my own good, and where necessary reach a compromise.

Here's to honoring our bodies, of all shapes and all sizes.