There once was a sore and achy left hip that wanted to communicate to Command Central (ComCen) that something wasn’t quite right. So the hip enclosed its message in a bundle of neurons, the messenger, and sent it on its way. The messenger found his way to the super highway and was moving along, humming and happy to be in the flow.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, something plowed into his side and sent him reeling and tumbling end over end until he came to rest in a ditch.

The messenger shook himself off and looked around trying to get his bearings. There, bigger than anything the messenger had ever seen, was a massive, oily, sludge-like, black blob. The messenger did not like the looks of that at all and tried to just move around the blob and be on his way. But the blob would have none of it and blocked the messenger’s way. An ugly mouth opened up in the middle of all that blackness, and began to speak. The messenger tried to ignore the voice, but it was compelling, mesmerizing – and he began to listen intently; “You are carrying a worthless, stupid message” it hissed. “No one cares,” it murmured in a whisper that was so loud that it shook the messenger to his core – he didn’t want to hear anymore but the blob was relentless, “Don’t deliver it. The hip is foolish for sending it. It is just a trouble maker, a big baby. Nothing is really wrong.” The blob droned on and on until finally it closed its oily mouth with a nasty grin and slithered away.

The messenger sat immobilized for a long time. He felt woozy and confused. Slowly, he began to recall his journey – he was on a mission to ComCen and even though he couldn’t remember the purpose of that mission, he made his way back onto the super highway and into the flow.

He spent the rest of his journey trying to remember the message he was carrying or even who sent him – blank, nothing – only a sense of some purpose to his mission.

When he arrived to deliver the message, he began to confess that he could not recall why he had been sent. But instead of his confession, a nasty voice he didn’t recognize growled from his mouth, “The stupid left hip thinks something is wrong. But it’s just a big baby that wants to cause trouble. You should ignore it. I was there and I know it’s really nothing. It just wants some attention. So stupid!”

ComCen, confused by the message and preoccupied with the running of the body, asked the messenger to put the message on the desk and turned back to the task at hand. The messenger floated away with a nagging feeling that he had not really completed his mission . . .

Suddenly the whole body was flooded with stress as it began to deal with the day ahead, muscles contracted, the stomach knotted, the mind reeled and the emotional body tensed. Command Central was on full alert; bells ringing, lights flashing, activity everywhere. The message from the hip fluttered to the floor . . . and was forgotten.

A few months later, after many messages – unfortunately usurped and diluted by the black blob – the hip could take no more. Bone scraping on bone, tissue swelling, joint frozen, no longer able to bear weight – the hip failed and the body fell. ComCen was now on full alert to deal with the crisis in the hip.

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The moral of this story is no mystery . . .

It is imperative that we cultivate a compassionate awareness of the messages that our body is sending. And that we do not let our judgment, disdain or apathy (the black blob) usurp and distort those messages. If we are able to hear the messages with clarity and concern, then we can respond in a way that is meaningful and relevant – and circumvent a potential disaster that puts the entire body on full alert, stressed, anxious and unstable.

Deep blessings to you and your body, Carol

“Loving oneself is no easy matter, just because it means loving all of oneself, including the shadow where one is inferior and socially so unacceptable. The care one gives this humiliating part is the cure.” James Hillman

Your body loves to feel good – it is constantly striving to feel its best. Through its eloquent language of sensation, it is communicating with you in every moment, letting you know about pain, tension, pleasure, need. By paying attention, you can begin to respond and support the body to feel the best that it can today. To tune in and respond to your body, try this:

• Sitting in a comfortable, supported position, close your eyes. Allow your body to relax completely. Release any tension in your face and throat. Let your belly soften and your limbs be heavy. Take a moment to let this unfold.
• Become aware of any sensations you are having in your body. Can you feel the backs of your legs on the chair? Can you feel the points of pressure where your back is against the chair? Become aware of the feel of your clothes on your skin.
• Keep tuning into the subtleties of the sensations you are having in this moment. Begin to scan more specifically. Are you feeling pain, tension, pleasure, relaxation, freedom, constrictions? Are there certain areas of your body you are more aware of than others?
• Now that you are tuned in, can you feel what you might wish for your body? “My wish for my body is that it: breathes easy; has relaxed shoulders; is free of tension, feels healthy . . .” You get the idea — whatever it is that might help the body to feel good, create a wish. How many wishes can you fulfill in any given moment?

Write some of these wishes down, play with them throughout the day and the week. See what kind of difference it makes to create and fulfill your body’s wishes.