Everything is connected—so let's find a way to feel better!

I’ve talked about how the colors we wear and surround ourselves with can affect our emotions, but how about how our emotions can affect our physical bodies? Whether you’re an athlete or simply live an active or busy lifestyle, you likely notice when something feels off: when your shoulders seem to hurt for no reason, or you’re not recovering from that workout earlier in the week like you normally do. Or lifting that weight-- or that kid-- feels harder this week than it did last week. Instead of popping that ibuprofen (though, you can do that too!), let’s dive a bit deeper.

How are you feeling emotionally?

In the back of Louise Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life she has a chart of physical ailments and their emotional counterparts (she also has a whole book about this, Heal Your Body, but I don’t own it. I like You Can Heal Your Life because it’s all about how the words we tell ourselves can change our lives in every way, and I find that a very beneficial practice).

Here are some common ailments she mentions and their emotional counterparts:

• Knee problems: “Stubborn ego and pride. Inability to bend. Fear. Inflexibility. Won’t give in.”
  
• Shoulder aches: “[Shoulders] Represent our ability to carry out experiences in life joyously. We make life a burden by our attitude.”
  
• Lower back aches: “Fear of money. Lack of financial support.” (There are different causes for middle and upper back aches. This is my teaser. Go get the book!! SO interesting!)
  
• Stomach problems: “Dread. Fear of the new. Inability to assimilate the new.”
  
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): “Allowing confusion to reign. Giving power to outside influences. Rejection of the feminine processes.”

And there are SO many more. But that gives you an idea of how the body is connected to our emotional experiences.

Note: Sometimes the connecting emotion doesn’t resonate with me, but recognizing that helps me be more aware of how I AM feeling emotionally, if that makes sense. It gives me a starting point for exploring the emotions I am feeling and how they could be connecting to how I’m physically feeling.

When you can become more aware about not only your physical experience/ailments, but the emotional and mental experiences in your life, you can work to change things around: practice positive affirmations, wear those certain colors to help you feel good, paint a wall or decorate your home/office with those certain colors, talk to a trustworthy friend about what you are experiencing, take yourself on a solo-date, write in a journal or find another creative outlet, get a massage or chiropractic adjustment, or find a therapist to help you sort things out.

Have you seen this physical/emotional/mental connection in your life?

How did you heal—emotionally, mentally, AND physically?

Share with us in the comments! ❤