How do you listen to your body? As a woman, I can only really speak from a woman’s perspective, so ladies this is for you! I am very in tune with my body and have learned over the years to predict how it will react in certain situations. If I lack sleep or am stressed out, the end result is always a headache. And I am not talking a two-Tylenols-and-it’s-gone headache; this is a 24-48 hour migraine! When I get one of these headaches, the only solutions that work for me are sleep and
acupuncture.
So the question is, “Sha, if you understand the repercussions of stress and not sleeping, why not sleep to begin with?” Simply because I am Type A.
People ask me all the time why I am so in love with the word “
lifestyle” (in addition to including it in many of DASHA®’s Marketing campaigns, I say it all the time in my daily life). I believe your lifestyle is major part of the support system your body needs. It is the unfortunate truth that I go into corporations throughout NYC for
health fairs and wellness events, and too many people are in the “
obese” zone. As a mom with two kids under the age of 10, I have seen children their ages eating freely and already struggling with weight issues. As women, our body image is a big part of how we think of ourselves, and being unhappy with our bodies is a huge contributing factor to our insecurities and feelings of dissatisfaction with ourselves.
I have trained my brain to listen to my body. I believe that your mindset can create your happiness. I do take time for myself. I call it my “Selfish Time.” I don’t believe in ignoring cues from my mind and body when they tell me I need or deserve something. I simply listen to myself and stop when I can’t take anymore.
So today I urge you to take a step back and view your daily lifestyle (I had to use my favorite word here) as if you are watching someone else. Do you look tired? Do you have low energy? Are you really hungry or just snacking because of stress? Are you feeling pain or discomfort somewhere but ignoring it? Is it really worth attending that evening event when you can tell that your body needs to be in bed early? When was the last time you got your heart really pumping during a workout? I promise that your mind and body give really good cues about what your health and wellness needs are. Take the time to listen to them, and follow your intuition when you do. If you are really paying attention, no one is better able to assess what you really need than you.
DASHA® is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
