God, Prayer & Intuition Are Key for Health!
For years, I was chronically stressed & highly wound. I was wired into the pace of corporate life and thought I could control everything to the demands of my schedule. For example, I would often ignore the physical signals of hunger, thirst, needing to use the restroom or needing a break to push through to when I decided it was time for needs to be attended (usually a 5 minute window in between meetings). I was totally focused on work and getting ahead. Self-care was way far down on the priority list. Whenever I would get sick, depleted or burnt out, I tried some new approach to reducing stress or feeling better. The chronic stress cycle kept repeating itself though.
Nothing was sustainable until I included God. Once I decided to have Him for support and as an accountability partner, it changed everything. What I was not able to do for myself, I was willing to do when I prayed, meditated and kept a bigger perspective. Because of the habits I made for myself, I had to re-learn what the physical and mental signals are when my body is expressing its needs.
This personal experience is part of why I highly recommend that anyone seeking to build their own health and wellness also employ prayer and intuition. (Even non-believing scientists find that it is helpful.) Being able to reconnect with the innate wisdom that God granted each of us and being open to God is a true compass to flourishing health.
Declare Health Independence!
When you are not feeling your best and you want to have enough energy to fully enjoy life's experiences with your family and loved ones - Declare Health Independence! Take steps to protect your health through ownership of lifestyle and food choices. Start the journey to change unconscious habits and address the lifestyle and food choices that could lead to disease. As you seek God on this journey, you will find yourself exactly where He wants you to be.
My approach to health building is a four-fold approach:
- Cultivate Awareness
- Take Empowered Actions
- Eat Ancestral Foods
- Employ Prayer & Intuition
These are not sequential steps, but interplay with each other. Also, it is all based on the assumption that nourishment of Body, Mind & Spirit is bio-individual. God made us unique and wonderful. Only you and God know what is best and right for you in regards to making nourishing lifestyle and food choices and what flourishing health means for you.
This is the 4th article in this series that describes my foundational beliefs. I will also share a few techniques that you can use today to employ prayer and intuition to improve your health.
Employ Prayer & Intuition!
God loves each of us as we are right now! We are never alone and always supported. Our Creator can help us become healthier when we keep the connection open with prayer and gratitude. God designed each of us to have a purpose and so much potential! With our free will, sometimes we drift and bring on more challenges to ourselves. God wants us to restore our focus on Him as we become more Christ-like. When you struggle with a change or need motivation, prayer for health and wellness can help you through.
When we were in our mother's womb, God embedded innate wisdom in our cells. Our cells know their function, how to repair and maintain themselves and how to replace themselves. With all the choices that we've made through life and what we've put our bodies through, our cells may not be operating as they were originally designed.
Feel the difference when choices to strengthen cells, instead of weakening them. Employ intuition to re-connect with body's innate wisdom. This starts with re-learning to listen to body signals. As we open our intuition, we'll be guided to making better choices that are specific to what we need for nourishment in the moment.
You and God know what nourishes you the best. You are the expert in your needs. The simple steps are:
Be Present
- Be in the moment to best connect and appreciate. Quiet you mind, acknowledge feelings, notice physical response, and open your heart.
Invite Presence
- Invite God. Listen for Guidance. Tune into Innate Wisdom.
Enjoy Presents
- Our Creator has given us so many gifts. Practice gratitude for what you get to experience in this life.
Rest to Restore
- Find the space to ensure that you do not over-extended & have sufficient time for “repairs” to body, mind & spirit
Techniques / Tools To Employ Prayer & Intuition
Gratitude for the First Bite
- As you take that first bite of food from your plate, be fully present. Be grateful for the food on the plate and everyone involved in getting it to you. Praise how it will nourish you body and energize you. As you put that first bite of food in your mouth, note all the sensations - sight, smell, taste, texture, sound. Thoroughly chew and enjoy that first bite.
What Do You Really Need?
- As you go for a snack, check in to see if you are really hungry. Or are you wanting something else and food is a substitute because of convenience and habit?
- When you look at your schedule for the day and feel tired already, what small change can be made to allow it to energize you?
Morning & Evening Routines
- Are you satisfied with how you use the time before bed and when you first get up? How are you honoring God, self and family in these periods? Are there changes to be made in these time windows that would nourish you more? What would allow you to start the day with joy & intention? What enables you to close the day peacefully for a good night's rest?
- A suggestion for a daily gratitude practice to incorporate into your routine. Relax in a GLADE: Identify 5 things that you are grateful for, with at least one in each of the following categories: Grateful for today, Learned today, Achieved today, Did better than yesterday, Evolved thinking from limiting to growth (or negative to lowing).
Survival Tactic
- During intense moments, what do you need to do differently to connect with your inner awareness and with God? For example: When you catch yourself winding up and getting tense, how do you bring God into soothe you? Or when overwhelm overtakes you, how do you remember to call on God to help you gain perspective?
- Recharge and unwind with micro-breaks. Find inspiring, energizing or relaxing activities that take 5 min or less to include in your day. Get quiet and check in with your intuition to feel what you need. Take a moment to Praise & Rejoice. Quick stretch different parts of your body to find where tightness can be found and stretch it more deeply before it becomes pain. Take a walk outside and appreciate the beauty of the world.
Employing Prayer and Intuition is an intensely personal process. These are what light your way on your health journey and give you hope and motivation to keep moving forward to achieve your goals. You'll be able to make effective changes that have a real impact on your energy level and health. Prayer magnifies coping skills and ability to change. Through adopting small simple habits, you can have a significant impact on stress levels and begin to experience greater work-life harmony.
In the comments let me know how it goes if you try any of these techniques or have a favorite technique that works for you to employ prayer & intuition.