Building a new foundation of self-care for our body and our lives

At a moment in our history when life as we have known it is changing by the day – in some cases by the hour – we are being asked to look after ourselves and those around us more deeply than ever before.  So do we either chose to hug tight the well-worn rule book of ideals and beliefs of what we should or shouldn’t do in the process of caring for ourselves, or do we instead make the choice to connect to our body and begin to build a new relationship with it, one that asks us to listen carefully to its messages and one that asks us to be very responsible in everything that we do?

But it can be scary to even consider throwing away a rule book that we have held tightly onto for most of our lives, especially in a world that is almost drowning in information in response to the questions we are asking right now.

Some of those questions no  doubt will be:

• How do we know what is true and what isn’t?
• Who do we listen to and who do we not?
• Who and what do we trust?
• How can we keep ourselves safe?

In this very confusing situation it comes down to being discerning and, in that discernment, always being aware that what works for one person may not work for another, as although our bodies are intrinsically the same, we all have our unique differences. And in this is the answer to our question about who do we listen to?  Who is the master of discernment?

It is our body!

Our body’s constant messages are offering us the answers that we need in every moment, but of course, it is up to us as to whether we choose to listen and then respond. It is our body that will discern what is true for it and what isn’t. It is the amazing vehicle that carries us through life, from our first breath until our last, through all our joys and all our challenges, so why wouldn’t we choose to build a deeper relationship with it?

It is the steady compass that we all need right now; the compass that will guide us unfalteringly to the truth.

So, at a time when the world is rapidly changing and much of what we have known is being rearranged, where information and misinformation are clogging our ‘airwaves’ and threatening to raise the fear level in so many, surely there is no better time like the present to stop and listen to what our body truly needs.  And what it needs, is to be cared for in such a way that its foundation of health and vitality is stronger than it has ever been, not just for our everyday lives, but if we come in contact with any of the viruses that are continually circulating the globe, such as Covid-19, we will have the body that has the best chance of withstanding whatever comes our way.

So, what can we do right now to support ourselves?

We can choose to:

• listen to our body and heed its wise counsel
• be prepared to be adaptable, surrendering to the changes we are faced with
• be aware of not going into comfort, numbing ourselves by various means from what is going on in us and around us
• reduce our stress levels as much as possible
• eat nourishing foods and drink simple drinks like water or herbal teas
• ensure that we walk and do some strengthening exercises at least once or twice a day
• get out into the sunshine and fresh air as much as possible
• make sure we have rest stops throughout the day so we are not exhausting our body unnecessarily
• look closely at our sleep patterns as the quality of our sleep is paramount at this time – well at any time
• we may have to isolate physically, but it is important not to isolate ourselves socially, so keep in regular touch with family and friends
• ask for help if we need it – it’s okay to feel vulnerable.

There are many more self-caring things we can do for ourselves right now, but not just because we have a responsibility to care for ourselves more deeply than we ever have done, but because we have a huge and never-ending responsibility to those around us, those in our family, at our work-place and in our community.

And amidst the rapidly changing landscape of our world today perhaps we have been offered the opportunity to build a new foundation for the way we care for ourselves, the way we are ageing, the way we work, the way we care about others, the way we live in community and the way we live in the world in general. Let’s not allow this wonderful opportunity to slip through our fingers.