I’m going to look at all aspects of the self, starting off by talking about some of my ideas, notions, beliefs and judgments about this so-called ‘vehicle’ that is our flesh and blood, in the hopes that it will help get people (including myself) thinking, feeling and acting on changing and releasing the old habits that encroach upon us as we walk the planet.

I’ll start close to home - I’m a massage practitioner by trade. I’m a firm believer in healing touch. Get yourself some bodywork this winter - it’s as crucial as anything else you might do for your body. There are many modalities of healing touch on the island, from massage to reiki to shiatsu to reflexology and beyond, available from many wonderful, loving and experienced practitioners. Talk to five friends, and you are bound to get a practitioner recommendation, either first or second-hand. Bodies need to be touched — loving, safe, healing touch. It’s as important as breathing or exercising. Being touched with healing, honouring intent encourages the body to thrive and want to live, and live fully. Being touched aids in warding off depression and is a wonderful preventive for dis-ease and dis-comfort that untouched bodies sooner or later manifest. No spare cash, you say? Approach a bodyworker with a few creative ideas for full or partial barter, and I guarantee you that within your first 3-4 attempts you’ll have scheduled yourself a session. Everyone has something to offer, and if you need and desire bodywork, you will find it.

I mentioned breathing and exercising. We live in a culture of shallow breathers who have forgotten that breathing is meant to be a conscious activity. Shallow breathing starves the cells of our body and leads to all sorts of long-term nasties. I recently made a bunch of coloured art focused around forms of the printed word “Breathe” and taped them up around my place. We need to breathe fully and deeply, all the time…expanding our chest or belly fully on the inbreath, contracting our ribcage fully on the outbreath, letting the breath simply fall out slowly instead of pushing it out, to avoid hyperventilation…and create a newer, healthier habit for increasing our body’s vitality than the one we were raised on — subconscious, shallow breathing. It’s a process. You will forget many times a day to fully breathe. It’s alright.

Don’t want to exercise? Don’t “should” on yourself. Follow your body’s urges as unconditionally as you can, and pay attention. Ask your body if s/he wants to go to that dance, or hike the mountain today. Ask, and listen inside. If the answer is no, follow that…don’t let your mind lead. Mind has led the way long enough. Body has rarely if ever been given the chance to lead! If the answer is yes, go for it. Every body’s need is different, there isn’t any “right way”. Can’t tell what your body wants, and feel frustrated with that? Accept that about yourself, that you can’t hear clearly from your body right away, in that moment…and ask again later.