Those of you who know me know that I am a non-stop, efficient, active, busy person. A person who thrives living on the go, and loves to take advantage of every minute of every day to get things done until my head hits that pillow. Balancing nursing school, clients, business, a blog, relationships, a home, taking care of my dogs, and somewhere in between taking care of…. Myself. I was this way for so long that it became something I identified with. I have been struggling with some serious GI issues since November 2015, issues that have caused a waterfall of symptoms to trickle down since then… fatigue, skin rashes, bloat, high WBC counts, muscle and joint pain… to name a few. I have seen several doctors, had procedures done with results coming back “normal” and very little answers from the Western medicine practioners. Leaving me frustrated because as a health and wellness professional, my entire life is centered around being well, eating the right foods, getting exercise and being healthy! But until recently I haven’t had the time to listen to what my body was trying to communicate to me, rather I wasn’t making time to take care of my needs. As of the New Year nursing school is on a brief break till the fall, which has opened up some time in my schedule for sure. But the biggest shift that has happened to me is the desire to just be still. The desire to enjoy the recovery just as much as the hard work. Now, while taking it easy means something different for everyone, for me this concept is foreign and presents a challenge. Often times there is a feeling of guilt that seems to always accompany the rest. It presents the opportunity for me to get out of my head and tune in with my body, tune in with what I need rather then what my mind wants. Doing this has taken a lot of practice, but has created an internal shift that is now projecting out into my everyday life, and I LOVE it. I have opened up the communication channel between my mind and my body, just by taking moments in my day to be still, to breathe and to evaluate how I am feeling. It’s allowed me to appreciate the state that my body is in. It sounds crazy, but it has allowed me to befriend my pain or my fear that has come along with these difficult health concerns. Rather than feeling that I cant get anywhere until it is healed or feeling angry at my body for putting me through this. It is SO healing to realize that I can be in a wiser, healthier relationship with my interior experience rather than just being driven by “hating” it. Mindfulness has helped me to notice what my body needs, and helped me make better lifestyle choices. Resting when I need rest, exercising when I need movement, nourishing my body with whole foods, shopping at local farm stands and appreciating the entire process of nourishing our bodies, practicing mindfulness has brought a bigger realm of compassion into my life, both for myself and for others. I am truly intrigued by the power of the mind, body connection and I am inspired to share my story with my readers to encourage you to do the same. Maybe for you mindfulness means something totally different. You may need more movement and less rest, or you may need to be more mindful in the way you are nourishing your body, or maybe you need to be more mindful in the relationships you share. We are all on our very own journey, but what I encourage you to do is practice a little bit more mindfulness throughout yours. Xo Kat
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