“Our body is our soul’s best friend.”-Paulo Coelho.
When I read these words, I immediately drew a heart in the margins next to the words and jotted down my thoughts.
There is such profound truth held in these simple words and just yesterday, a friend and I shared some thoughts about this.
I had been invited to an event and instinctively, as I read about the event and what to do and bring, my stomach began to tighten and my stance changed. I felt my body instinctively go into a protective mode- ready to “flee or fight.”
I tried to talk myself into accepting the invitation, but then realized that my body was truly my best friend and the reaction I was feeling was my body whispering to me.
My body knows when and how to protect my soul and I have learned to pay attention, to listen and to honor my body and my soul.
While I knew the opportunity to network and mingle would boost my business, I also know that I’m much better at small, intimate gatherings than at large social functions.
My deafness is actually a gift in many ways because I tend to place myself only in situations and with people in which I know I’ll be able to have some measure of control and to understand, to connect, to feel my best and be the best version of myself.
Now that I have the AVA -Audio Visual Accessibility-app I don’t worry about not hearing things like I used to. AVA doesn’t just give me the words that people say. it also gives me insight into others and to the relationships I have.
Many of my friends keep AVA installed and ready to use…but I’ve also ran into people that have told me that AVA is “too much trouble” and those that have made it perfectly clear that they would rather I didn’t use AVA.
When I go someplace, i consider the lightening.the ambiance, and the acoustics…I think about how I’ll stand,where I’ll sit, and who I’ll seek out and I also make sure AVA will work wherever I’m at.
In many ways, being hearing impaired makes me more aware of my body and others. Since I can’t depend on what I hear, I depend on what I feel.
That’s the way I use my body to benefit my soul, to make sure I get the best chance and give the best I can to every situation.
That means listening to that small whisper from my body way before it becomes a moan of despair or scream of frustration and anger.
So I put aside this invitation and instead accepted better ones..an invitation to go out for a walk, to sit at a table for two with a bottle of wine, to listen to music and dance and go out on a treasure hunt.
Those are the invitations that my body craves and my soul responses to with an excited “YES!”
I also believe that when we touch someone’s body, we reach their soul and that’s why,as a massage therapist, my touch is so mindful, compassionate and intuitive.
I want to always touch the body with knowledge of how far I am reaching…into a person’s soul..through muscles that hold memories, through skin that covers wounds and shows scars. I know that it’s never “just” a massage, but it’s a gift of trust,a step of faith when someone gets on my table.
At least that’s how I see it and how I treat it.
I hold another quote close to my heart. This one is also simple and profound.
“Only those that love your naked soul,should touch your naked body.”
In a time where people dive in and out of physical relationships without giving a second thought to how the soul feels about it, there is a sacred intimacy in the relationship that honors the soul first and the body knows it.
That’s why I’m taking care of my body- by listening to the way it lets me know who can touch me and who can’t.
But I also listened to another clear message..the one telling me who I shouldn’t touch.
Recently I’ve came to understand that I can say “no” to touching some people, that if a person makes me feel uncomfortable, I do not have to allow them into my space, or on my table. I don’t have to accept everyone as a client just because they book a session with me.
This has not been easy, though. I had wrestled with the rationalization but the way I felt about approaching sessions was too strong to push aside.
I chose to do what my friend told me to do. I trusted my guts; embraced my strengths and worked around my weakness and felt my soul dance inside my body…you know, like best friends do when they are finally together, again.
Jeanna' Soul 