Article by Sidra Jafri
Recently, the famous singer, Tina Turner, had officially gotten married at 73. I felt happy that she was still pursuing her dreams, and living the life she felt she deserved. I personally come from a culture where life ‘ends’ for people by the time they reach 50 – their bodies start to give them trouble and they start to complain about how their memory is giving up on them. Hearing someone getting married after that age was a completely new concept for me. This led me to question the difference between some people who seemingly don’t age at all, whilst other people struggle to just walk across the room complaining how their back isn’t what it used to be. One thing that was very evidently different between them was that the people who remained youthful, believed that their life didn’t need to end at 50. In all the interviews I had heard, none of them believed that suddenly they would have to “become old” which allowed them to continue to pursue their dreams and live life to its full capacity.
As an Awakening facilitator, I have facilitated people from all walks of life and from all age groups. Amongst them all, there are many people who are in their 50s and 60s. The major challenge they are usually facing in their lives is around their health. Sometimes it’s the physical aches and pains and other times it is an emotional pain of anxiety and depression. The first thing that I teach people on their journey of awakening is that their bodies are a living breathing consciousness, that is communicating with them through pain, and serves as a messenger to pay attention to what is going on internally. We either pay by attention or pay by pain. Most people pay by pain because they are not paying attention to what is really happening within themselves emotionally. There is a direct link between people’s physical health and their emotional well being. Even science is now beginning to recognise the power of our mind and emotions over matter and much research has proven that people who learn to overcome the beliefs that society is programming them to be ‘old’ are the ones who are able to live a life of health and vitality.
Rejuvenate Your Body
The following steps will show you a way to rejuvenate your body and live an active happy life:
- Change your thoughts around your body:
As said earlier, science is beginning to recognize the power of our mind and emotions over our bodies, it’s no surprise to see that the people who are most active are the ones who think about their bodies in a positive light. Time and time again human bodies have defied the most extreme conditions such as living in jungles and deserts. The key factor in all these conditions is how they’ve programmed their minds and thoughts to ensure their survival. Your body is constantly responding to the messages that you are giving to it whether you are aware of them or not.
The mind is so powerful that whatever you decide about your body, your body responds to your decision by creating that thought in your physical reality. For example, if you have decided that your body is weak then you will find yourself in various situations where your body will feel weak and vulnerable and vice versa.
A classic example of how your thoughts create your body is that of Yuichiro Miura, an 80 year old man who despite having several heart surgeries, set the record for climbing Mount Everest. His mind played an important role in preparing for the climb.
The first step to change your thoughts is to become aware of them first as you don’t know what you don’t know. To gain awareness of your thoughts take a pen and paper and uncover your thoughts about your body by writing 10 statements you believe about your body to be true. For example, my body is weak or lazy or fat or short, with no energy…and so on and so forth.
Now take all these negative words for your body and replace them with neutral beliefs. For example if you have written my body is too old to function, you can replace it by crossing the first word and writing that my body is doing the best it can. Keep this new paper near by so that you can look at it at all times.
- Love and Respect your body:
You might reflect on how you are no longer young anymore. We tend to put a lot of labels on our bodies, the older we get the more we feel our bodies are imperfect. I’ve heard things like “wobbly,” “disgusting,” “saggy,” “wrinkly”. In our judgments we often overlook the facts that our body is doing the best it can to ensure we are at our healthiest. Our body is a temple for our spirit. It is the vessel through which we’ve lived and given our lives to others. So claim every inch of your body with love, honor and appreciation. Whatever you appreciate, appreciates you.
Every night spend 5 minutes sending love and appreciation to your body before you sleep. You can close your eyes. Just breathe naturally as you do. Start with the top of your head and slowly make your way down to the tip of your toe. Sense your brain, imagine light entering and just say thank you for communicating with my body and allowing me to think. Sense your eyes, imagine light entering and just say thank you for allowing me to see. Sense your nose, imagine light entering and just say thank you for allowing me to smell. In the same way, keep moving until in your mind’s eye, you can sense that you have infused all your organs with love and appreciation.
- Keep your body emotionally healthy:
Your psychology creates your biology. As we have established earlier, our bodies give us pain so that we can pay attention to what is happening internally. There is a clear connection between people’s emotional and mental states and their physical symptoms.Therefore, in order to rejuvenate your body it is important to keep your emotions in check and give yourself permission to express your emotions in a safe way. Unexpressed emotions are the major contributor towards depression. Journalling, to express your emotions is known to be the best way to stay emotionally healthy.
Keep an emotional journal for yourself and every day make time to especially write down any unexpressed anger and hurt feelings which you might not be able to say to anyone else. This way you won’t store any unwanted emotions in your system.
In summary, one of the simplest yet most transformative things you can do for your body is to start taking full responsibility by learning to change your thoughts, appreciating your body and keeping an emotional journal on a daily basis. This will rejuvenate the cells of your body, which will in turn, improve your overall immune system.
Sidra Jafri is an author, medium and Awakening Facilitator. Sidra transforms people’s out-dated core programming and the beliefs in their lives that have been keeping them stuck in areas such as wealth, relationships and wellbeing.
Her Global event The Awakening has moved thousands of people to activate their own unique soul signature in order to create more of what they want in their lives, including wellbeing in their body, mind, and spirit.
Check out her recently release new book: www.sidrajafrilive.com/changeyourlife
For more info on her next FREE live event check out: www.sidrajafrilive.com/the-awakening and to book your place on her next 6 Day Soul Spa retreat: www.sidrajafrilive.com/soul-spa