"But Jesus Often Withdrew to Lonely Places and Prayed" Luke 5:16

The one thing I learned that really changed my life and my health when going through my health coaching training was the power of listening to your body. How to be present; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This was about so much for than food, but that's how it all started for me.

How do you feel after eating pizza for dinner?

How well can you concentrate when you skip breakfast?

Are you emotionally stable after eating dessert?

Once you learn to really listen, and not just assume, you will start to notice that your body really does communicate to you how different foods make you feel. But, as I said before, it is about so much more than just food.

How do you feel when you wake up early in the morning so you don't have to rush?

How do you feel when you exercise right after work instead of doing it in the morning?

How do you feel after you've spent the day with good friends?

So often we are told exactly how we are supposed to feel, or the "most healthy" way of doing things. When in reality, every person is different. One person may feel the most benefits of exercising first thing in the morning. It gives them more energy, helps them to concentrate better, and promotes healthier food decisions throughout the day. On the flip side, another person may need to exercise right after work in order to relieve stress. They find that they can't relax and enjoy being with their family at night, they aren't able to sleep because their mind is spinning, and they find themselves emotionally eating to relieve stress when they don't exercise right after work. The sad part is, a lot of people don't make these connections between what their body needs versus what they have heard is the best way of doing things.

In the end, listening to your body physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually becomes a powerful tool that God uses to bring healing.

As you may have noticed, I have been absent on the blog this past month due to being sick and feeling worn down. In the past, I would have pushed through that and kept right on blogging until I got so incredibly sick that I was forced to take a break. These days though, I have learned to listen to my body and take those breaks before hospitalization is necessary. Rest is something that did not come easy to me. But, God has taught me a lot on the subject of rest. It honors God and it honors our body (God's temple). Jesus himself rested as often as He could by withdrawing to lonely places.

The good news is that I am back to blogging and really excited about it. The weekly prayers will resume in December with some awesome content on stress relief to help you manage all the Christmas craziness. Stay tuned!