By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published January 2007, Community Leader
January is a month for making and renewing promises to ourselves. We have crossed into a new year. We are enjoying the energy of an ever-increasing number of daylight hours. We can utilize this energy, and honor this time of beginnings, by committing to a satisfying life path—committing to ourselves.
Committing to ourselves can be as profound as determining a vocation or as simple as consistently participating in a pleasurable endeavor. When we allow ourselves to resonate with what makes us happy, our whole outlook changes. A friend of mine spent years in the field of finance, before abruptly changing direction and applying to go to acupuncture school. When he did so, he told me, “It was as if everything in my life had lead up to that moment—prepared me to be doing exactly what I was meant to be doing.”
By understanding what we are ‘meant’ to be doing, we are positively impacting our health and well-being. My patients remind me of this daily—in both their presence and their absence. Individuals who regularly engage in gratifying activities are not frequent visitors to my office. They prove Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s adage, “We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage the doctor within.” This doctor within has also been called “resiliency.” Being resilient contributes to our wellness. It enables us to manage chronic conditions and acute illnesses more easily. It is proof of our own inherent strength.
We each have access to this inherent strength. We are more than a set of organs progressing through our existence. We are whole beings, united by something that scientists have yet to explain fully. This “something” provided the spark that brought forth our conception, and allows us to continue to draw breath. It is a strength that moves us forward, despite our traumas. For purposes of discussion, I will call it spirit.
Connecting with our spirit requires that we pay attention. The spirit has been likened to a “still, small voice,” which means that it may communicate in subtle ways. It is rarely the voice with which we maintain a constant dialogue in our brains. Often, in fact, we need to silence the voice in our heads to hear the voice of our spirit. We also need to turn off the voices of the outside world, and be comfortable with solitude.
Meditation can be a powerful tool for eliciting the voice of our spirit. In meditation, we aim to quiet the mind, and be present in the moment. We do this by focusing on our breath or a repeated word or phrase. Meditation can be a challenge, as most of us are readily distracted. By practicing meditation on a consistent basis, we are training our minds to get beyond our distractions. We are opening ourselves to our still, small voice.
Another way in which we can open ourselves to our spirit is by engaging our bodies. Our “somatic” self carries information that we cannot begin to understand in traditional ways. Massage therapists are familiar with this phenomenon. As they work on various muscle groups, they notice that some patients experience significant releases of emotion. This also happens in yoga. My friend found herself weeping during one of her first yoga sessions, despite feeling well previously. The instructor assured her that this was a common occurrence. Yoga requires people to take—and hold—positions they don’t normally work with. This is true of many physical pursuits, such as Tai Chi, running and swimming. An anatomical change of perspective may yield valuable insights: physical expressions of the still, small voice.
Once we have begun to hear the voice of our spirit, we must consider whether we will act on the information provided. Sometimes this takes time and further contemplation as to how best to proceed. As we are deliberating, it can be helpful to acknowledge our intentions in writing. This formal recognition can solidify the connection between our conscious self and our spirit.
When we disconnect from our spirit, our bodies suffer. So we must enter into practices that enable us to reconnect. And we must do them. Over and over and over again. Because we never know when our still, small voice will make itself known. By remaining open to this voice, we are making a commitment to ourselves—something we should aspire to do this January, and every month of the year.
