The Wisdom of the Body
by Marc Lerner
March 2008
In 1981, at age 29, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and I have been on a journey of self-discovery ever since. The disease left me legally blind, handicapped in walking and with poor balance, just to name a few. This could have been a frustrating challenge, but I knew from past experiences that my greatest resources were deep within me in a place frustration could not reach. I just needed a way to tap those inner resources as I dealt with my health. Being legally blind left my outer world blurry and frustrated me, but it also gave me an opportunity to study my inner world in a way I never had thought to before.
When I began to connect to the Wisdom of my Body, I was no longer a victim, suffering from a crippling disease.
There is something profound about the Wisdom of the Body. Once I was running a seminar for mentally ill homeless people. I mentioned "inner wisdom," and one participant said "I don't have any wisdom". Then I asked him, "When you sleep, does your heart beat?" "Yes," he said. "Do you breathe?" I asked. "Of course," he said. That's the Wisdom of the Body.
The Wisdom of the Body has a very simple purpose: to harmonize every function of the mind and body. It is as though every cell works toward the miracle that is the human body, and when all of these cells work together independent of our thinking mind, it puts you in "the Zone." Simply put, these are times when we are performing at our highest potential. I've seen it in people facing a threat of death, or in mothers in the throes of childbirth. These types of events move us into the moment where we trust an inner wisdom; we
were born with it, and it is our real potential. But you don't need an extraordinary event to be in the Zone; you can get the same feeling when you're all alone.
When I ask people to define their ultimate challenge, many say connecting to God, or defeating a life-threatening illness. But even to prepare to get to that point, you need to become receptive to the Wisdom of your Body. Once you connect to that wisdom, attaining those goals becomes easier and more natural. No matter what your goal, from healing and dealing with a disability to relationships, from spirituality to work or sports, the Wisdom of your Body allows you to go beyond the self you think you know.
Article Provided By:
Marc Lerner http://www.lifeskillsinc.com Life Skills Institute is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that offers support for those in a struggle. He's written two books that help us to work with our inner vision to overcome challenges. You can download the beginning sections
of each from his website. He'll be running a seminar this July with the Junior Blind in LA for young adults, who are blind and are going to college or getting a job.
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