Our bodies send us messages every moment, if only we know how to listen, but most of us drown out or ignore those messages with a barrage of To Do lists, head-voices, and endless work.

But our bodies are invaluable sources of information about our lives. Try this simple way to become aware of what your body may be telling you with the symptoms it manifests. They often tell us something very real and true. Read the simple exercise here:

Take a few moments when you will not be disturbed. Think back over the last six months. What symptoms have you experienced? Headache? Backache? Nausea? Give some real thought to this and write down anything you remember.

Now look at your list. Begin to think of these symptoms as metaphors. (For instance, if you’ve had digestive trouble, ask yourself what in your life you may be having a hard time digesting. If you have neck pain, ask yourself what in your life is giving you a pain in the neck.) Write down how the symptoms may relate to your life.

Have any of your symptoms disappeared over the course of the last 6 months? If so, what changed in your life around the time that the symptom vanished? Write this down, too.

You now have an important logbook about your life and how your body tells you things about it. If you keep track of the physical symptoms as they come and go, you will begin a dialogue with the body that can lead to greater health and wholeness.