We all carry a sense of where we belong. We call it home. However far we roam, we yearn for home.
Home is where we belong, where we are comfortable, where we can be ourselves. Home may be represented by a place, a structure with walls and floors and rooms. Sometimes home is a special location where we feel completely at ease, a personal sanctuary.
When we hear the saying “home is where the heart is”, we relate to that sense of belonging. We relate to the love that is manifest there. Home is where love abides, were we love and are loved.
We consider the heart to be the focal point for love. We love from our hearts. We feel love in our hearts. We feel connected to others from our hearts.
Your heart is within you. Your physical body is your home. Your physical body is where the heart resides. It should feel like home, where you are completely at ease, where you belong.
No matter where you go or what you are doing, you are at home in your own body.
Many struggle feeling at home in the body. Maybe you feel like your body doesn’t even belong to you. You may feel betrayed by the body. You may be dissatisfied with the appearance of your body. You no longer trust it. You ignore your body, you don’t pay attention to it or you may even hate it.
When you hate your body, you cannot feel at home. It becomes more and more difficult to pay attention to the subtle but real messages that the body is trying to send to you, because you really want to “run away from home.” If you separate from your body, it’s easier to ignore it. It becomes easier to prioritize other commitments rather than your commitment to your own well-being.
For example, if you begin to feel a sense of fatigue during the day, you may have a cup of coffee or a soft drink to get that jolt of caffeine so you can keep busy with what you are doing, essentially ignoring the message in order to be “productive.”
You need to recognize that a simple feeling of fatigue may be a subtle message from your body telling you to slow down a little, take a break or breathe for a moment. Perhaps your body is saying it needs a little more sleep to function optimally. There are multiple reasons you feel fatigued, but ignoring it and covering it up with caffeine may work for the moment, but eventually, you must pay attention to what is causing you to feel tired. Eventually, when you ignore it long enough, the message becomes less subtle and more obvious. You get sick.
Your body is constantly sending messages to you, your personal monitoring system that lets you know how the body is doing. When you ignore the signals or symptoms, you miss the opportunity to listen and understand what you need to be healthy.
Like any healthy relationship, your relationship with your body requires love, attention, and great communication skills. You must be willing to pay attention and to listen respectfully. Trust your heart. Trust your gut. Trust your body.
Home is where the heart is. Love and listen. You are home.
