Busy? Don't Forget About Your Body!

It’s pretty easy to put our health at the bottom of our to-do list when we’re busy. When we try to squeeze too many things into our schedules, something inevitability gets dropped, neglected, or suffers in quality. All too many times that “something” is our bodies.

We make more time appear as if by magic by doing things like sacrificing sleep, drinking copious amounts of caffeine, and skipping nutrition in favor of on-the-go meals. Of course, it’s all done in the spirit of “temporary”; we tell ourselves that as soon as we get a moment to breathe, we’ll give our bodies the TLC they deserve.

But when we haven’t been operating at our best for a long time, it’s actually easy to miss important signs that our bodies give us about our health. Getting in sync with our bodies’ subtle signals could mean the early detection — and in some cases, prevention — of disease or illness.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to be more aware of your body’s needs is through the practice of yoga. It may seem counter-intuitive to add yet another thing into your overbooked schedule, but you can make a difference with only a few minutes a day. Those small moments of focus can help you to listen of the quieter needs of your body, needs that often get drowned out in life’s daily shuffle.

Yoga expert Joel Kramer offers some great wisdom about this in his article, “Yoga as Self-Transformation”:

“The word ‘disease’ means what it literally says: dis-ease. As the body becomes less ‘easy’ in itself, it begins to break down. The process of yoga keeps the physical systems opened and energized which prevents breakdown and illness. Yoga also has great curative potential since the postures are highly refined tools. They enable you to get into different bodily systems in very specific ways, strengthening and healing them. Yoga gives you the possibility of taking your health into your own hands.”

Learn more about yoga here on Care2.com:

Image Credit: Lululemon Athletica / Flikr

Read more: Fitness, General Health, Health, Yoga, autoimmune disease, yoga

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Sue H.

7:27AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

always

send a green star

Letanya D.

8:51AM PST on Feb 21, 2012

great article!!

Carol P.

10:39PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

Yoga doesn't seem to be for me, but I do get both exercise and invigoration by going for hikes in nature. I get way more out of it. Give me fresh air, beauty, vistas, and wildlife along with my exercise any day instead of standing in one place indoors.

Sarah M.

6:25PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

thanks

Sheri P.

11:52AM PST on Feb 16, 2012

thanks for the reminder!

Susie M.

11:42PM PST on Feb 15, 2012

♥♫♪♥

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Kate H.

5:16PM PST on Feb 15, 2012

Good review of the basics!