Washington Wellness Associates | Susan's Articles | Observe How You Talk to Your Body

Observe How You Talk to Your Body
by Susan Tate

How do you talk to your body? If you like, just observe your self-talk as you go about the day today. Will you hear a critical voice saying, “I’m so fat, I hate my thighs, look at those wrinkles, I hate my belly, I am so tired, I hate this mole on my neck, these veins are ugly, I always get sick, my arthritis is acting up again …”? You get the picture. Well, the immune system gets the picture too and does a great job of being quite the creative artist in your body. Your immune system actually responds to your thoughts. Yes, really! It’s now a proven fact.

Candace Pert, Ph.D., has done significant research to identify a substance in the body called neuropeptides. These chemicals are released in the body with every emotion and they are actually measurable. Any time we feel various emotions, our neuropeptides can detect them and can actually record and store them on a cellular level. Our emotions truly affect our physical bodies. The good news is: our pleasant emotions create positive cellular responses. And that is something good to remember.

For an incredible example of how our emotions and thoughts profoundly influence the body, read Jill Bolte Taylor’s book, My Stroke of Insight. Dr. Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist who, in 1996, experienced a rare form of stroke that affected the left hemisphere of her brain. She combines her brilliant training as a neuroanatomist with the recounting of her personal experience of her recovery from this stroke. She boldly discusses how we can consciously influence how our brain chemistry is affected by our thoughts, feelings, and reactions to life events.

Simply observing the little inner voice that criticizes you can be the first step in becoming aware of the thoughts that flow through your mind. This observing self is often referred to as the “witness”—the loving, non-judgmental voice that simply watches and listens. I love to call it the “observette,” a term my friend Donna coined years ago.

You can create a higher level of wellness consciousness simply by lovingly observing your self-defeating thoughts. Then instead of saying, “My thighs are so fat,” you might affirm, “My thighs are toning up and looking better every day.” Observation leads you back to that intentional part of your thinking. If you say an affirming statement, intend for it to happen, and take action on that intention, you’ll soon find yourself making choices that create positive change.

I do want to point out that this idea isn’t a magical fix. You can’t tone your thighs by sitting on the couch, eating cake and ice cream every night chanting, “My thighs are toning up and looking better every day.” Sorry, life doesn’t work like that. Take action!

In his inspirational work, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz suggests being “impeccable with your word.” I understand this agreement to mean that we not only speak our word of truth to others, but that our self-talk also benefits from a truthful tone. Learning to speak lovingly to yourself holds a higher level of truth and integrity than talking to yourself in a self-deprecating manner. Observe how you talk to yourself and make choices that will allow your self-appreciation and your wellness wisdom to expand.

Three Suggestions to Support You in Implementing these Ideas

Lovingly observe how you talk to or about your body this week. Become a non-judging “observette.” Just notice. Note: You may find yourself becoming increasingly aware of how others talk about their aches and pains and bodies. It’s best to just observe this too, with love and non-judgment.

If you find your inner voice is critical, stop and take a deep breath, then decide if you are ready to reframe that thought. For example, the initial thought “My thighs are so flabby and out of shape” might be re-framed to “My thighs are beginning to tone up since I started to take the steps more than the elevator!”

Make loving observations a fun practice until you find you no longer, or rarely, think or speak self-deprecating or un-flattering thought or words. Eventually, you will have fewer of these thoughts to weed out of your mental garden!