By Emilee Henriquez, LCMHC, Therapist and Advocate for Embodied Healing
For many people, pain feels like the enemy. Whether it’s emotional, physical, or psychological pain, it’s natural to want to avoid it, suppress it, or get rid of it as quickly as possible. But what if pain wasn’t the enemy? What if it was a messenger, trying to tell you something important? As a therapist, I’ve seen how powerful it can be to learn to trust your body and listen to the wisdom it holds.
The Pain Is a Messenger
Your body is constantly communicating with you. When you’re stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, your body responds with physical sensations. Tension, headaches, stomach issues, and fatigue are often signals that something deeper is going on. Unfortunately, many of us have learned to ignore these signals, pushing through discomfort or numbing it with distractions.
But what if you took a different approach? Instead of seeing your body’s signals as inconveniences, what if you saw them as messages?
Your body’s pain can be telling you:
You’re Holding onto Unprocessed Emotions: When emotions are not fully processed, they can manifest as physical symptoms.
You Need to Slow Down: Chronic stress often shows up in the body as fatigue or tension. Pain might be a signal that you need rest or self-care.
Something Is Out of Alignment: Whether it’s in your work, relationships, or lifestyle, physical discomfort can be a sign that something is not aligned with your values or well-being.
Why We Distrust Our Bodies
Many of us have been conditioned to distrust our bodies. We’re told to power through discomfort, to “mind over matter,” or that feeling pain is a sign of weakness. Over time, this leads to a disconnect between our minds and our bodies. We start to believe that our bodies are unreliable or that pain is something to be conquered, rather than listened to.
But the truth is, your body is wise. It holds the key to your emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. By learning to trust your body, you can begin to understand the deeper layers of your pain and find more effective ways to heal.
The Healing Power of Listening to Your Body
When you start to listen to your body and trust its messages, you open the door to a deeper level of healing. Instead of treating pain as the enemy, you can treat it as a guide, showing you where healing is needed.
How to start trusting your body:
Tune into Physical Sensations: Start paying attention to the physical sensations in your body. Where do you feel tension or discomfort? What emotions are connected to those sensations?
Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices like body scans or meditation can help you become more aware of your body’s signals.
Honor Your Needs: When your body tells you it needs rest, nourishment, or movement, honor those needs. This is an act of self-trust.
Work with a Somatic Therapist: Somatic therapy can help you reconnect with your body and learn how to listen to its wisdom.
My Message to You
I’m a therapist, and I used to believe that pain was something to fight against. But over time, I’ve learned that pain is not the enemy—it’s a messenger. If you’ve been struggling with physical or emotional pain, ask yourself: What is my body trying to tell me? By learning to trust your body and listen to its signals, you can begin to heal in ways that go beyond the surface. Your body is wise—trust it.
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