Over the past week and a half, I've been recovering from a cold—my first in a year of travelling. I know the main culprit was my gorgeous little human, who seemed to bounce back with nothing more than a scratchy throat, a cute voice, and a bit of a sniffle for three days. But I wasn't so lucky.
I've been so blocked up and runny all at the same time—you know, that feeling when you blow your nose and think there couldn't possibly be anything left, yet somehow, you're still a river. I know, too much information! But in a small caravan, my family has absolutely "loved me" - NOT. If it wasn't the sound of me blowing my nose, it was me coughing up a lung—you can imagine the looks from the other campers!
I'm on the other side of it—still a bit 'nasal' (according to Jorge) and stuffy, but nothing like the last couple of weeks. It's funny how a cold can pull you back to reality and remind you to slow down, even when living in a caravan.
This cold got me thinking about the mind and body and their connection. This was the first time I had been ill, and I allowed myself to slow down. Being my own boss has helped (though to be fair, my previous boss was always amazing). It was more my guilt—the guilt of not wanting to be sick—that kept me thinking I couldn't take a day off. Sick days were for the weak! And if I could prove to everyone how dedicated I was or push my way through the body aches, I would be rewarded. But let's be honest, is there ever any reward? Unless you call being sick for longer a reward? I can't seem to remember getting any certificate or badge to call out how brilliant I was at 'not being sick' at work – maybe only my full attendance certificate at school (perhaps that is where it all started!).
Anyway, for the first time, I didn't have to prove anything to anyone. I didn't have to be strong or put on a brave face and pretend I wasn't sick. I just allowed myself to feel what I needed to feel. I rested, enjoyed the sun on my skin, slept in, and let my body repair. It was wonderful. And I realised I could still do everything I needed; I still worked, played with Amelia, went exploring, packed up the caravan, and unpacked the caravan. It was just executed without the performance. I could take things at my own pace.
I believe our bodies let us get sick when we need to figure things out—when we have run ourselves and our minds into the ground and need time to heal...the mind and body connection. Often, the body manifests something physical as a way of circuit-breaking out of our current state.
I have a very strong memory of this happening to me during the time just after my mum passed away. The mix of no sleep, crying, and just shock gave me a strange sense of energy – I know this sounds strange, but keep reading… This energy got me to organise funeral arrangements with my siblings, get the house cleaned up, collect stuff from the hospital, and keep moving. I needed this from my body at that time. Then, on the calendar, we all had a day booked out to go to a day spa in the UK – one of our favourites; we had it booked ages ago as a gift for my mum and for us, the ladies of the family. Now, with a broken heart, the day had arrived, but we decided to go as my mum would have wanted us to – she LOVED a girl's day out!
I remember putting on the soft white robes and little white slippers when I got there. I had planned to get into all the pools, saunas, and steam rooms, so I would use this voucher to its fullest! (yes, I am one of those people). Inside this spa, they have lovely hot stone beds; it is a dome-shaped room with a fountain in the middle facing all the chairs. Soft music plays through the mysterious speakers; each stone bed is heated, the perfect temperature to warm up your body and soul. I had already done some swimming and was drawn to the beds. I just wanted to be wrapped up in warmth; I could feel the pull of this room, and I just let myself find a bed and lay down. My sister and I softly chatted next to each other and listened to the music.
Then I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, it was my sister softly telling me it was time to go home, WHAT? We had the whole day here; I had just got onto the bed. Well, that is what I thought. While my sister was chatting with me, she saw me close my eyes, and then I was gone, completely silent, asleep, in a deep sleep. I didn't stir, move or hear any clients moving in and out of the hot stone room for the whole afternoon. I simply lay there, still.
I clearly remember when I woke up feeling so peaceful like I had been taken to a place where I could find solace, warmth, and stillness, and when everything around me felt like it was falling and ending. I don't know what I dreamt about, but I have never felt that kind of peace again, and I can only think I was in my mum's arms, the warmth of her soul around me when I needed time to heal. My body silenced the world, my body allowed me to recover, my body knew what I needed, and I needed to rest.
When I speak to my clients about past trauma, old beliefs or emotions they are dealing with, I always ask where they feel it in their body. There is a reason for this. Our bodies are integrated with our minds; they work together. When we confront an emotion, trauma, or belief, we feel it in our bodies.
People often feel a block in their throat when they have suppressed emotions for a long time, a knot in their stomach, tension in their shoulders, or even heaviness in their chest or heart. Have you ever described a feeling like this? Where you can literally feel the emotion somewhere in your body?
This is important because our bodies often hold onto things we haven't yet dealt with. If we don't face them, we get sick—stomach aches, ulcers, headaches, and other ailments.
We know that exercise is good for us, in whatever form you enjoy it. Whenever I walk in the morning or chase Amelia around a playground, I feel a spark, a lightness, and a renewed sense of life. This is when our bodies and minds are so delicately woven together. Suppose we just allowed ourselves the opportunity to listen. In that case, we would find the blueprint for our health, healing, and enlightenment.
It's time we started listening to our bodies more closely, paying attention to those subtle signals before they manifest into something bigger. What if the next time you feel that tension in your shoulders or the heaviness in your chest, you paused and asked yourself—what is my body trying to tell me? Maybe, when you are sick, you give yourself the grace to rest and tell yourself this is your time to be your own hero and heal yourself instead of thinking you need to prove something to the world about how strong and capable you are.
Let's start a new conversation with our bodies. Let's ask them what they need and be brave enough to listen. What's the worst that could happen? A little rest, a little self-care, and perhaps, just perhaps, a little more understanding of ourselves.
Our bodies constantly communicate with us, whether through a cold, a sore throat, sleep, or tension. The question is, are we listening? What might we discover about ourselves if we truly started to pay attention?
Love always
Me