Have you ever thought of your body as a natural system?

As Earth Warriors we dedicate a lot of time and energy to preserving the Earth’s natural systems so that life is supported, but all too often we don’t do the same for our own bodies so that our own life (and that world we’re trying to create by using that body) is supported! We get run down, sick, exhausted, frazzled, foggy, and the list goes on, essentially because we forget to practice what we preach in the intimacy of our own Earth suit. It’s never too late to start though, so here’s a few ways of looking at your body as a natural system, so that you can have the radiance and resilience of a healthy ecosystem!

What I want to talk about is how you can enhance those natural processes you have going on inside you, because we have certainly learnt enough as Earth Warriors to know that working with Nature rather than trying to dominate her is how we get the best results.

I’ve experienced it for myself many times, but one of the first was about seven years ago now when I did a short course by Graeme Sait. I thought I was doing it to learn about sustainable agriculture because I wanted to be able to relate better to farmers for my work, but what I didn’t expect to gain out of it was an absolute 180 in how I understood nutrition and looking after myself. After the course I was inspired to take a great deal of action which to me at the time was radical – I ditched my microwave, most processed food, and all refined sugar, started soaking my grains and tried my hand at making sauerkraut. I also did my first detox, and oh my gosh I felt amazing!!! This was my first taster of what it feels like to have an optimally functioning body. I thought I was eating very healthily beforehand but I actually had no idea, and I had no idea how incredible you can feel! I’ve since done many other cleanses and detoxes (with very varied results!), and I’ve trained in Integrative Nurtition, so I’ve found what works for me. This gives me so much power to feel how I want to feel! It’s not just about how much energy you have either, although this is huge for many people. Your body is able to start healing so that little niggly things that you thought you were stuck with can start to go away. The most profound thing for me has been it’s impact on my mind. I found my moods improved drastically, I can think much more clearly, and I am far better equipped to handle stressful situations. Essentially, what I’m doing is as simple as working with what works for my body!

Here are some tips for working with your own body’s natural processes:

  • Start seeing your body as nature’s gift to you, a marvelous vehicle for experiencing the joys of life on Earth and doing the work you feel called to do! It was created for you just as roots, bark and leaves were created for a tree, or beaks, feathers and wings were created for birds. Look after your precious self!
  • Listen to what your body is telling you. These are otherwise known as symptoms when they reach the point that what we’re doing really isn’t working for us. They mean it’s time to change things up and take better care of yourself.
  • Having everyday habits which support you are the nuts and bolts of working with your body. Things like eating nutritious food, drinking plenty of water, having quality rest, and moving your body are essential components. Think about how your body functions – each cell and each process needs vitamins and minerals, fuel, oxygen and water to operate, so make sure you supply the ingredients for it to do what it needs to do!
  • An occasional cleanse or detox is wonderful too, because it gives our natural cleansing systems – our liver, kidneys, even skin and gut, a chance to ‘catch up’. and clear the backlog of toxins in our body and to repair. Did you know that some key functions of the liver are to process cholesterol and estrogen? These get put on the bottom of the pile though if the liver also has to deal with external things like alcohol and pesticide residue on foods, and we all know that build ups of cholesterol and estrogen can result in major health issues! A gentle cleanse can be enough to kick your body into healing mode, while others may benefit from the deeper experience of a detox. Please do detoxes under the guidance of a naturopath to get the best results and avoid a nasty ‘healing crisis’. I’ve made that mistake, and never again.

What are some of the other ways that you like to work WITH your body? What benefits have you felt when you did it? Let me know in the comments!

To explore this more and be guided on a gentle cleanse while connecting to your own body’s wisdom, join me for my 28 day online program Cleanse & Connect! It starts 28 March (tomorrow as I write this) with a week establishing our foundations – those great daily habits, before going deeper with our cleanse. Click here for all the info.