YOUR BODY IS TALKING TO YOU, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S SAYING?
From time to time, we all experience certain physical ailments and body symptoms that can cause us discomfort, pain and distress. When we experience something out of the ordinary in our bodies, we can either ignore it, hoping it will go away on its own, self-diagnose via the internet (which can sometimes provoke fear or worry), or we can go and seek expert diagnosis and treatment through various health care providers. There is however another tool that we have available that is often overlooked, The wisdom of our own body!
Hippocrates the Father of modern medicine said “Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease”, Edward Bach, the founder of homeopathic Bach Flower remedies stated “Disease is in essence, the result of conflict between Soul and Mind and will never be eradicated except by spiritual and mental effort”. If we can communicate with our bodies before we need to seek external feedback and if we learn to interpret the messages that they give us, WE then become the experts of our own bodies. In Michael Browns’ book “Alchemy of the Heart” He poetically admonishes us that “We are still trying to feel better, when we are now being asked to get better at feeling”.
I have long been a follower of the teachings of Louise Hay, who healed herself from cancer and then went on to write the New York Times best seller “You Can Heal Your life”.
In her book, Louise explains the link between the thoughts and beliefs that we have about ourselves and the effect that they have on our emotional health which can then manifest in the physical body causing a wide range of symptoms. Louise also provides within her book, a comprehensive list of physical ailments, their negative emotional counterpart and the positive mantra or affirmation that can be used as an antidote. It was through Louise, that I first became aware of the mind body maps and how to read them.
The following guide is in no way suggesting that the physical component of what we experience is invalid or to be dismissed and ignored; neither is this guide intended to replace traditional and complementary medical consultation. It is intended to offer an initial self-directed holistic approach which expands beyond the physical to include the metaphysical components of various symptoms, (psychological, emotional, and vibrational). If your symptoms persist, do seek the advice of your medical or complementary practitioner.
MIND BODY MAPS
When we experience an ailment or symptom in our body, the first thing that we can do to assist us in discerning the message from our body, is identify the location of the symptom.
The following physical locations of the body and their metaphysical symbolism can provide a guide, allowing us to understand the emotional/psychological and energetic components that have potentially contributed to the physical condition we’re experiencing, thus enabling us to make adjustments to restore balance within our body.
This guide is NOT intended to be prescriptive, instead; I encourage you to keep an open mind and assess what resonates or “lands” for you personally, in regards to your symptom. I equally encourage you to disregard that which doesn’t fit for you. I have used these mind body maps to guide me to heal myself of various symptoms including: dissolving benign nodules, improving my visual prescription, dissolving pre-cancerous and cancerous cells, dissolving joint pain, dissolving eczema as well as eradicating digestive issues.
I share these insights as signposts guiding you towards your innate healing intelligence.
THE RIGHT SIDE
The Right side of the body represents your yang energy, or your doing energy. It is your animus, your animating force, or masculine side, your giving side and it also reflects your relationships with males. Your right side reflects your interaction with the world around you and is influenced by your environment. It symbolizes your conscious mind and it also represents the future.
When you have a symptom on the right side of your body, you may feel hindered in moving forward in an aspect of your life, and you may be holding yourself back by internal fear triggered from an aspect of your perceived future or your present environment. It may also represent challenges in relationships involving males. If your symptom is affecting your right, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE LEFT SIDE
The Left side of the body represents your yin energy, your non-doing energy. It is your anima, your feminine side, your intuition, it is about receiving and surrendering, and it also reflects your relationships with females. Your left side is about your subconscious mind and the hidden parts of yourself that you’d rather not show to the world and it also represents the past.
When you have a symptom on the left side of your body it may be a reflection of your past experiences and deep unacknowledged emotions, and may be indicative of your ability and willingness to receive and surrender. It may also represent challenges in relationships involving females. If your symptom is affecting your left, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE FRONT
The Front of the body represents the part of yourself that you show to the world, your public persona and all aspects of this version of yourself. It also reflects the future and what you’re moving towards. The front of the body is about your conscious mind and what you’re aware of or what you can see in front of you.
When you have a symptom on the front of your body, it may reflect a disparity or imbalance between your public external self and your private internal self. It may also represent an unwillingness or trepidation in moving forward towards your future. If your symptom is affecting your front, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE BACK
The Back of your body represents the part of yourself that is private and not seen by the world. It also reflects the past and what you’re moving away from. The back of the body is about your subconscious mind and aspects of yourself that are either ignored or yet undiscovered.
When you have a symptom on the back of your body, it may reflect aspects of your hidden self that you’d rather not acknowledge or deal with. It may also represent a feeling of being held back by unresolved emotions, experiences and memories from the past that you’ve accumulated in your physical body. If your symptom is affecting your back, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE LEGS
The Legs take you forward in your life, They also represent standing in your own strength. They reflect both your past as well as your future.
When you experience symptoms in your legs, this can be indicative of feeling stuck and restricted by the past, or fearful of stepping forward into your future. It can also be a reflection of feeling that you struggle to stand in your own strength. If your symptom is affecting your legs, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE ARMS AND HANDS
The Arms represent what you’ve got hold of, or what you have got a grip on and also represent what you can control. The arms and hands also represent giving and receiving
When you experience a symptom in your arms and/or hands it may reflect the inability or unwillingness to leg go of something or conversely take hold of something in your life. It may also represent a lack in being able or willing to give, or to receive. Symptoms in your arms and hands can also indicate things in your life that you need to take control of, or conversely, things that you have no control over and are therefore invited to surrender to. If your symptom is affecting your arms, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE EYES
The Eyes represent what you can understand and foresee. They reflect what you are aware of and perceive both within yourself as well as the world around you. The eyes govern your perspective and focus of the present and the future.
When you experience symptoms that affect your eyes, there may be something that you do not want to see or acknowledge, or you may be pained by what you do see or have seen. It can also represent being too focused on the future or stuck in a narrow perspective. If your symptom is affecting your eyes, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE EARS
The Ears represent what you know, or hear inside yourself, or in your environment.
When you experience symptoms that affect the ears this may represent something that you don’t want to know or hear, or it may reflect your inability or unwillingness to really listen. If your symptom is affecting your ears, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE THROAT
The Throat represents what you need to express, literally or creatively. It is symbolic of your soul expression. It reflects your power to speak your truth, and communicate with the world around you. The throat also allows you to literally take in food and air, so symbolically it also represents what we “take in” or swallow…figuratively or emotionally.
When you experience symptoms that affect the throat, it may symbolize that which you are not expressing or not saying and a lack of confidence in speaking your truth. It may also reflect misuse of your words, gossiping or lying. If your symptom is affecting your throat, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE LUNGS
The Lungs represent your ability to take in life, to be inspired. They also represent your ability to receive energy in all its forms, your openness to new ideas, and having clarity of thought.
When you experience symptoms affecting the lungs, it can represent grief, sadness and depression and may reflect a tendency to hold onto pain, like holding your breath, instead of letting it go, in order to breathe in again. It may also reflect fear or trepidation. If your symptom is affecting your lungs, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE HEART
The Heart is like a knot that binds together all of your energy systems and represents the centre of your sense of love and security. The heart represents your passion for life and your feeling of connection to the world around you. Its also linked to your vocational contribution, your sense of purpose and meaning in life and what you give.
When you experience symptoms affecting the heart this may also be reflected in a lack of joy, fear of being alone, feelings of disconnection and a lack of purpose or meaning in life. It may also reflect an imbalance or unwillingness to love yourself, which may get projected as self pity, resentment or hatred in its various forms. If your symptom is affecting your heart, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM (STOMACH, SMALL AND LARGE INTESTINES)
The Digestive system allows you to “digest” and assimilate your experiences. It allows you to draw the positive from your life in order to absorb and nourish your entire system.
When you experience symptoms that affect your digestive system, this may reflect in an inability to process what you may have experienced. It may also represent fear, or an inner knowing, a deep guttural sense of something being out of balance in your life. If your symptom is affecting your digestive system, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE URINARY SYSTEM
The Urinary system represents your ability to eliminate toxicity from yourself and your environment and to release that which you have processed and no longer need.
When you experience symptoms affecting your urinary system, it may represent an inability or inefficiency in how you process negative emotions and trauma. If your symptom is affecting your urinary system, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE LIVER
The Liver represents the storehouse of your life force energy and also your ability to restore and replenish.
When you experience symptoms affecting your liver, it may reflect the storing up of negative emotions that then deplete your energy. This energetic “fermentation” may create anger, resentment and irritability. If your symptom is affecting your liver, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE SPLEEN
The Spleen represents joy of living and passion for life. It also processes and absorbs nourishment from our emotional experiences in life and digests information from our thought processes.
When you experience symptoms affecting your spleen, it can be indicative of obsessiveness that may be reflected in mental instability and depression. It may also reflect a difficulty in processing thoughts and emotions and a reduced capacity for receiving emotional nourishment. If your symptom is affecting your spleen, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
The Reproductive system represents your self identity, creativity, and ability to experience pleasure. Its also a reflection of how you relate to yourself in relation to others. It represents your sense of security and your ability to survive.
When you experience symptoms that affect the reproductive system it may reflect a sense of insecurity, vulnerability or fear. It can also indicate a perceived threat to your sense of survival. Issues experienced in your reproductive system can also represent distortions in your self identity, resulting in thwarted creativity. They can highlight an inability to receive pleasure that can result in a sense of self punishment and guilt. If your symptom is affecting your reproductive system, ask yourself: Does anything here specifically resonate with me?
WHAT’S THE ANTIDOTE?
So after identifying the location and corresponding metaphysical aspects of your symptom, sometimes the awareness itself can bring about a natural healing, at other times, unpacking your newfound insights with a qualified therapist can assist with addressing the emotional component of your symptom. Further intervention may still be required such as seeking the advice of a health practitioner, talking a course of supplementation or medication if required, making adjustments to your diet or implementing a new physical regimen.
Sometimes the antidote is reducing stress, quitting a negative relationship, learning different ways to express yourself, building in relaxation or meditative processes to your life, reducing screen time or getting out into nature more. Learning emotional tools to assist in dealing with negative emotions or traumas can also be the required antidote. Gaining some teaching on how to release fear, anger, grief or shame can be vital to restoring emotional balance, that then allows for your natural states of healing, love, peace and joy to emerge.
All the best with your health and wellness
Chrissy