Hon Sha Za Sho Nen (a Reiki greeting meaning, the Divine within me recognizes the Divine within you)….

Finding ways to take loving care of ourselves may not as obvious as we think it might be. When I was diagnosed with cancer five years ago (wow, 5 years ago, what a journey – more on that for another newsletter!) I had to stop, take a breath, deal with what I needed to do to take care of my body and my life: two surgeries, radiation…..and then ask myself: how do I need to take loving care of myself? Where do I start? I always find a good starting place is the Pillars of Health.

Deepak Chopra recommends that you pay attention to what these Pillars of Health:

Sleep: Aim for seven to eight hours of good-quality sleep every night.
Meditation: Spend time every day in silence, reconnecting with your inner self
Exercise: Move your body every day by walking, doing simple yogic stretching, or weight training.
Emotions: Be aware of your relationships-are they supporting your spiritual goals?
Nutrition: Eat healthy, fresh foods with a focus on fruits and vegetables.
Grounding: Stay connected to Mother Earth-spend time in nature.

I usually think of these as the Pillars of Health (because I like things to be really simple):

Right Rest
Right Movement
Right Nutrition
Right Relationship, within and without.

Each of these pillars means whatever is right for you. Only you know how much rest, what kind of movement and nutrition resonates with you, how you need to work on your relationship with your Higher Self and Spirit, and with the people in the world around you.

So five years ago, I sat quietly, connected within, and asked, which Pillar of Health was most important for me right now? What would support me the most? What did I need the most? And the answer was right in front of me: Right Rest. And thus I found out how much rest I needed. Over the next year and a half I slept, and slept and slept….sometimes 10+ hours a day. I thought it might take a year to “rest enough”, but my rest changed for good. I never realized how much rest I needed, and never gave myself enough.

At some point, I felt rested, so I asked within, which Pillar next? And Nutrition was the answer. Then Movement. And all along, of course, we work on Right Relationship. We actually work on all of them in degrees most of the time, but if you ask what is most loving for you right now, you might be surprised at the answer.

We have all our answers within, if we will only ask….and listen. What does your inner voice say right now about which Pillar of Health needs some loving attention?