DAY 10

Loving Your Body, Healing Your Pain

The lesson today is about pain: what it is, where it comes from, what it’s telling you, and what you can learn from it.

Many of us live with pain or illness on a daily basis. It may be a small part of our lives, or it may take up a large portion of it. Today you are going to use your mirror work to open a new door to loving your body and healing your pain.

No one wants to be in pain, but if you have it, what can you learn from it? Where does pain come from? What is it trying to tell you? Since pain can be a manifestation of either physical or mental dis-ease, it is clear that both the body and mind are susceptible to it.

I recently witnessed a wonderful example of this as I watched two little girls playing in a park. The first child raised her hand to playfully slap her friend on the arm. Before she was able to make contact, the other little girl cried, “Ow!” The first girl looked at her friend and asked, “Why did you say, ‘Ow’? I haven’t even touched you yet.” Her friend replied, “Well, I knew it was gonna hurt.”

The body, like everything else in life, is a mirror of our inner thoughts and beliefs. It is always talking to us, if we will only take the time to listen. I believe we create every pain and illness in our body. Every cell within our body responds to every single thought we think and every word we speak.

The body is always aspiring to achieve optimum health, no matter what we do. However, if we abuse the body with unhealthy food and unhealthy thoughts, we contribute to our discomfort.

Pain comes to us in many forms: an ache, a scratch, a stubbed toe, a bruise, congestion, uneasy sleep, a queasy feeling in the stomach, a dis-ease. It is trying to tell us something. Pain is the body’s way of waving a red flag to get our attention—a last-ditch effort to inform us that something is wrong in our life.

When we feel pain, what do we do? We usually run to the medicine cabinet or the drugstore and take a pill. When we do this, we are saying to our body, “Shut up! I don’t want to hear you.” Your body will quiet down for a while, but then the whispering will return—this time a little louder than before. Imagine what would happen if you were telling your friend something important but she wasn’t listening. You would say it again, probably louder. If she still didn’t listen, you might well become agitated and lash out. Or, feeling hurt and unloved, you might shut down.

Sometimes people actually want to be sick. In our society, we’ve made pain and illness a legitimate way to avoid responsibility or unpleasant situations. If we cannot learn to say no, then we may have to invent a dis-ease to say no for us.

At some point, however, you have to pay attention to what’s going on. Allow yourself to listen to your body, because fundamentally your body wants to be healthy, and it needs you to cooperate with it.

Think of every pain you have as a teacher, telling you that there’s a false idea in your consciousness. Something you are believing, saying, doing, or thinking is not for your highest good. I always picture the body tugging at me, saying, “Please pay attention!” When you discover the mental pattern behind a pain or illness, you have a chance to change the pattern through your mirror work and arrest the dis-ease.

Are you willing to pay attention to your body and release the need that has contributed to your pain? If so, get started on your mirror work and learn to love your body and heal your pain.

Let’s affirm: I love my body. I return my body to optimal health by giving it what it needs on every level.

Your Day 10 Mirror Work Exercise

1. Choose the pain or illness you would like to work on today. Let’s say it’s heartburn.
2. Stand or sit in front of your mirror.
3. Look deeply into your eyes, and ask yourself these questions: Where did this heartburn come from? What is it trying to tell me? Have I been eating unhealthy foods? Is there something that I am fearful about? Did I hear some news that I’m not able to digest? Is there a heated situation that I’m not dealing with? What or who can’t I stomach?
4. Regardless of what pain or dis-ease you are experiencing, you can say these affirmations: I breathe freely and fully. I listen to the messages of my body. I feed my body healthy and nourishing food. I allow my body to rest when needed. I love my amazing body. I am safe. I trust the process of life. I am fearless. Keep repeating the affirmations.
5. Now do some affirmations specifically for the area causing you pain. (You can look up mental patterns for pain and particular illnesses, along with corresponding affirmations, in my book Heal Your Body.) If you’re having stomach problems, for example, you can say: I love my stomach. I really love you, my healthy stomach. I feed you healthy foods, and you digest them with joy. I give you permission to be well.
6. Repeat these affirmations two or three more times.

The Power Is Within You: Your Day 10 Journaling Exercise

1. When you feel pain or discomfort, take time to quiet yourself. Trust that your Higher Power will let you know what needs to be changed in your life so you can be free of this pain.
2. Visualize a perfect natural setting with your favorite flowers growing in abundance all around you. Feel and smell the sweet, warm air as it blows gently across your face. Concentrate on relaxing every muscle in your body.
3. Ask yourself these questions: How am I contributing to this problem? What is it that I need to know? What areas of my life are in need of change? Meditate on these questions and let the answers arise. Write down the answers in your journal.
4. Choose one of the answers you received in Step 3 and write an action plan that you can work on today.

Make changes one step at a time. As the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” One small step added to another can create significant change in your life. Pain does not necessarily disappear overnight, though it may. It has taken time for pain to surface; therefore it may take some time to recognize that it is no longer needed. Be gentle with yourself.

Your Heart Thought for Day 10: I Listen Carefully to My Body’s Messages

The body, like everything else in life, is a mirror of your inner thoughts and beliefs. Every cell responds to every single thought you think and every word you speak.

In this world of change, you choose to be flexible in all areas. You are willing to change yourself and your beliefs to improve the quality of your life and your world. Your body loves you in spite of how you may treat it. Your body communicates with you, and you now listen to its messages. You are willing to get the message.

You pay attention and make the necessary corrections. You love your body and give it what it needs on every level to bring it back to optimal health. You call upon an inner strength that is yours whenever you need it.

Your Day 10 Meditation: Positive Affirmations for Health
(Day 10 of the audio download)

Here are some positive affirmations to support your health and healing. Repeat them often:

I enjoy the foods that are best for my body.

I love every cell of my body.

I make healthy choices.

I have respect for myself.

I look forward to a healthy old age because I take loving care of my body now.

I am constantly discovering new ways to improve my health.

I return my body to optimum health by giving it what it needs on every level.

Healing happens. I get my mind out of the way and allow the intelligence of my body to do its healing work naturally.

I have a special guardian angel. I am divinely guided and protected at all times.

Perfect health is my divine right, and I claim it now.

I am grateful for my healthy body. I love life.

I am the only person who has control over my eating habits. I can always resist something if I choose to.

Water is my favorite beverage. I drink lots of water to cleanse my body and mind.

Filling my mind with pleasant thoughts is the quickest road to health.