What Is Your Body Communicating?

It was a big week in New York City. I gathered with my Hay House author colleagues – Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Kris Carr, Gabrielle Bernstein, and many other radiant beings – to speak at the Hay House I Can Do It Ignite conference. My publisher announced that they’re producing a public television special about my work that will appear on PBS stations around the country – and that I’ll be going on a live tour with PBS. Hay House is also going to film a documentary DVD about Writing Your Own Prescription, based on what I teach in Mind Over Medicine.

Plus, the Dr. Oz Show producers met me and asked me to appear on the show to talk about healing health care. O magazine asked to do a feature on my work in the June issue. I spent four hours pow-wowing with supermodel and genius philanthropist Christy Turlington to noodle how we could combine our influence to spread the message of her nonprofit Every Mother Counts, as well as the message of my upcoming book Mind Over Medicine.

Then there were the bright lights of Broadway (we saw Mary Poppins), the buzz of eight million people, my first glimpse of the new World Trade Center tower, the chaos of the Natural History Museum on President’s Day (I think all eight million New Yorkers were in that museum on that one day), and the fact that I wasn’t able to work in my daily meditation or take my daily hike in nature.

It was a lot for this introverted country girl from a teensy little coastal town where the closest grocery store is a 20 minute Highway 1 drive away…

I told a few people that New York tends to “spin me out,” and that putting Lissa in New York City is like dosing Lissa with amphetamines, when Lissa needs Valium.

When Your Body Speaks

After talking about how “spinny” I felt, I hopped on a Virgin America flight back to San Francisco, and about halfway through the flight, I started feeling dizzy – first just a little bit, then very dizzy, so dizzy I felt severely nauseated. The only way I made it through the rest of the flight was by sitting rock still, closing my eyes, and breathing deeply so I wouldn’t throw up. When we got home, the Highway 1 car ride home only made things worse.

I’ve never had vertigo, and I’ve never been airsick, and I’m used to winding country roads that rarely make me motion sick, so the whole thing was disconcerting.

Be Careful How You Speak To Your Body

I asked my body what I usually do when it doesn’t feel well – “What are you trying to tell me?”

My body said, “You told me you felt ‘spinny!’”

Ooh… I know better. When you say things like “I’m prone to colds” or “Cancer runs in my family” or “We tend to get high blood pressure,” your body is happy to prove you right. This was a great reminder to tend the garden of my mind and cleanse my thoughts.

What’s Your Body Communicating?

Caught in my linguistic mistake, I took the next step and asked my body what it was trying to tell me. What might my vertigo mean?

I closed my eyes (still dizzy), got Wordless, and listened to the voice of my Inner Pilot Light.

My Inner Pilot Light said, “The Gremlins are terrified.”

Oooh… yes. This felt wildly true. My Gremlins were PETRIFIED!

So I asked the next question. “What does my body need in order to heal?”

The answer was clear… Get grounded. Deal with the Gremlins. Have faith. And let go.

When The Stakes Are High

I remember vividly the first time I cut open a person, back when I was a third year medical student. And I remember – even scarier – the first time I cut a person open without supervision. I remember the first time I was in charge of the whole Labor & Delivery ward – by myself.

I nearly had a heart attack every time.

Remembering my fears from back then, it puts things into perspective. The stakes were much higher with surgery or delivering babies. People could have died if I failed to perform. This time, if I fail to perform perfectly, nobody dies. But I’d be failing much more publicly, which feels very vulnerable.

I know it’s not all about me, that I’m not in control of how any of this goes. I know that the positive attention coming my way is really about the vision I’ve been charged with bringing into being in the world. It’s about an idea whose time has come and the people who are committed to healing health care and empowering patients to take responsibility for their health.

My Fear Of Success

But when my ego steps in (I call her Victoria Rochester), I feel overwhelmed, and I get scared, and I want to crawl into a cave and make myself small.

Deep down, I’m afraid of failure, but in many ways, like many of us, I’m even more afraid of success. My trip to New York left me staring face-to-face with both my biggest dreams and my biggest fears. It was uncomfortable, and I’m sure it triggered stress responses in my body. And as I wrote about in Mind Over Medicine, two of the most common physiological reactions to stress responses are… you guessed it… dizziness and nausea.

Getting Out Of My Own Way

I know I may come across as pretty darn strong and fearless sometimes. But other times, I feel like a basket case, and I just want to curl up in a little ball, ask someone to wrap their arms around me, and hide from doing scary things that push me out of my comfort zone.

I realize that thoughts like these could lead to self-sabotage. I could get in my own way and put the brakes on all the great things coming my way. I could let the Gremlins win.

But I won’t. Because I’m too committed to my vision. And I’ve worked very hard to bring my dream into being. And I know this work will help many. Plus, it’s damn exciting!

I’ve recently defined my own definition of success, and I realize that, as long as I stay true to this, there’s no reason for me to be afraid. I get to make choices that are aligned with my Inner Pilot Light. It’s my right to set boundaries, and I only need to say yes to things that feel delicious – in my body and in my life.

So move over, Fear. There’s work to be done here, and I don’t have to be in control. The Uni-verse is in charge, and I am merely a vessel for Divine work in the world, if I can free myself from the chains of ego and fear.

Gremlins, be gone. Vertigo, I heard you. You can leave now. Redwood trees, I’m heading your way so I can get grounded. Media and Hay House, thank you for believing in me.

Uni-verse, I am at your service.

Does Your Body Speak To You?

Do you ever get messages like this from your body? Are you afraid of success sometimes, too? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Grounding,

Lissa Rankin

###

Lissa Rankin, MD: Creator of the health and wellness communities LissaRankin.com and OwningPink.com, author of Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself (Hay House, 2013), TEDx speaker, and Health Care Evolutionary. Join her newsletter list for free guidance on healing yourself, and check her out on Twitter and Facebook.

Pin It

BG

Doctors believe and know the power of the body to heal itself. Meds and new treatments have saved millions of lives over the years and will continue to do so. You are too self critical of all medical treatments, you are pushing your ideas and agenda, this is not much different than modern thoughts on medicine. Instead of beating up the system or using it to promote your own philosophy why don’t you help people with what you were trained to do HEAL no more no less. It’s not like alternative medicine hasn’t been around before you, most people don’t educate themselves enough to know what to do; mainly take control of their health, and not let anybody doctors or healers have the final say.

To answer the spontaneous healing process is simple. it happens, do we have to argue why and how why not just accept a miracle for what it is, a miracle. Sometimes humans dig way too deep looking for answers when you don’t really need one. If you or the medical profession believe you are going to some how obtain the ability to heal humans instantly you are all crazy it ain’t going to happen.
Bridget Shaw

Hi Lisa, I am not sure if you would call this spontaneous healing or just a healing miracle…my friend had Multiple Sclerosis (incurable they say) for 10 years. She was my business partner and unable to work, so we decided to take her on an alternative healing journey. It wasn’t even that difficult, in fact we had lots of fun. After five years of alternative thinking and treatments she is completely cured. That was ten years ago. And, again, the medical community is not interested in what she did, they come up with all sorts of excuses for what happened. Locally she has many people interested in how she did it, but they are looking for something that the doctor would prescribe, not just drink more lemon water. We have written a little story about it http://www.thecureforms.com and I will give you the coupon code if you would be interested in reading her story. MOLLYANDBRIDGET.

Thanks Lisa, love your attitude! Bridget
Kathrynl

I healed myself of multiple sclerosis and can relate to this article. I feel tbe same skepticism from otbers about my healing. It’s unfortunate that society doesn’t accept labeling me as a survivor. I healed through love, not conventional pharmaceutical drugs.
Kim Berube

At 21, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. At 26, spots on my cheeks were biopsied and diagnosed as ‘most like’ Discoid Lupus. At 40, I developed large rashes on my shins that were incredibly angry and red and scaly. They too, were biopsied and the findings were ‘most like’ a type of eczema.

I believe that each condition was a DIRECT emotional reaction to emotional trauma :

1. my thyroid (throat) I was in an abusive relationship that I was hiding from my parents and friends. This was secrets, lies and covering up the truth.

2. Lupus – was fear. The relationship escalated to physical violence and a threat on my life.

These conditions spontaneous remission as I healed emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

3. My shins – intuitively I felt, was anger. Red, hot, itchy, angry spots. I was grieving the loss of my passion, a business – and the subsequent debt from the loss.
This condition healed without any treatment within 3 months after I attended the Hoffman Process in March 2012. The process requires physical, energetic catharsis to remove stored feelings, old emotions and thereby stimulate healing.I BELIEVE, SISTER. xoK
http://twitter.com/BAngelsan Bruno

The value of the body’s ability to adapt especially in newborns or via cord blood should not be underestimated.
LC

First of all, thank you so much for such a wonderful read. A few years ago I was going through fertility issues. Actually, it went well beyond infertility and after many years of agonizing periods and repeatedly winding up in the E.R. with acute pain and fainting I underwent surgery and was diagnosed with stave IV endometriosis. One of the worst cases my doctor, one of the best in Canada, had ever seen. My abdomen, uterus, bladder and bowel were covered. My tubes were deformed and there was no healthy ovarian tissue left due to 7 large endometriomas. My womb, was doomed I was advised that there was no way I would be able to become pregnant on my own. At best, I could have my ovaries removed, my bowel re-sectioned, and the endo in my uterus cleaned up and then proceed with IVF via egg donor and hope that would work. I couldn’t accept this and moved on to plan B. 6 months of hormone induced menopause to hopefully lessen the endo, a new surgery to see if there was anything to salvage in my ovaries and then hopefully IVF with my eggs. My doctor advised me that this was a long shot but we went for it. And, well, turns out, I was still screwed. Not only did nothing inside me change but my heart all but stopped on the operating table. (hmmmmm). So, I went away still refusing to consent to castration and I met a practitioner who helped me work through some potential emotional causes. And man there were many. Of course I made myself so sick. I was unconsciously running a pretty hard-core “i am underserving of being a mother” that was due to some pretty old disempowering experiences and traumas that I thought I was over. As I worked through all this through some power-full mind-body tools and a lot of forgiveness work, I became a new woman. I also found a fabulous TCM doctor and saw a great naturopath as a re-balanced myself. And I carried with my a piece of paper and a quote by Wayne Dyer on it “Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing” After doing the work I did, I knew I was ready. And I was willing because I was finally allowing myself to be deserving. And I set a goal to become pregnant. Within 2 months, and without trying at all, I did become pregnant. Since then, I have switched careers and re-trained myself in mind-body tools and advanced awareness modalities and I’m helping others too. And I’m working with an MD at a fertility centre helping patients there do everything they can in conjunction with their medical treatments to be ready and willing to conceive too. It’s the most rewarding stuff, it really is.
Everyone talks about my miracle baby. And, yes, he is. But I ask that until he realizes for himself that miracles happen all the time, everywhere, every day, to anyone who chooses to accept them… that people avoid telling him what a miracle he is. Cause that’s a lot of pressure. Miracles can only happen in a space that was previously occupied by doubt or fear. In the time that we’re living in right now, there are a lot of opportunities for miracles and that’s pretty cool.
- http://beyouliveyourdream.blogspot.com/ Sarah Noel
  
  Wow, what an awesome story!! Thanks for sharing!
Alyse

I am dealing with a second round of sever GI issues over abandonment, and trying to control my feelings over this one person..both times he has come in to my life and left abruptly without explanation they have popped up. the effects of my stomach aches stick around longer than he does. I have no idea how to make it go away. I am trying to give my body what it needs and I will try to tune in more to help it heal
Lissa Rankin

Thank you all. I so appreciate hearing your stories. Just reinforces what I already believe. We are not alone in this…

Much love
Lissa
larked

Hey Lissa! You have the power to change lives Thank you for the Inner Pilot lights and your wonderful stories, what you share makes us all stronger and capable of achieving our dreams
http://beyouliveyourdream.blogspot.com/ Sarah Noel

Love this, Lissa! It’s comforting to read that “even you” have moments like this. I’m being serious. Makes me feel better about my own moments of fear and utter out-of-control-ness.

It’s kind of funny, and I apologize if this grosses anyone out who may read this, but I’ve been more constipated the past month or 2 than I EVER have in my life! In fact, I had very little idea of what it felt like to be constipated til now. Now I KNOW!

I also think our bodies are mirrors and clues for us. So I asked myself, am I trying to hold on to something, or control something, or not let something go? I haven’t quite come up with the answer yet. (But I AM eating lots of fiber these days.)

I DID just get out of a 2-year relationship and have been learning to be single and independent again.

I DID just start a new part-time job in the past 2 months.

My life is changing a lot so far in 2013. Maybe the constipation is my way of trying to maintain control when I should just relax and let it go. Let the Universe take the wheel. It’s got this.

Thanks for an awesome post!

Sarah

http://beyouliveyourdream.blogspot.com/2013/03/your-belief-of-what-you-can-be-makes.html
http://www.facebook.com/pangecakes Angela Tomato

Spot on! I recently lost a loved one very tragically. Dealing with the pain and healing process has been the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to deal with. I’ve had some very dark hours. On the outside, it appeared that I was handling things quite well. After 6 months passed, I suddenly gained weight. I believe, after meditating and looking within that it was my bodies cry for help. I am not ok and that is ok. I don’t have to be “strong” I am healing and everything will be ok. My brightest days are before me – they are not in anything I might consume. Cheers, to healing. Reading your story, I have spent some alone time and my body is going to lose the weight as fast as it was put on. We are healing.

Thank you.

With love and support,

Angela