When the body says no and a curated reading list to decipher the language of your body.
As a mother of a toddler, I am sick more than ever because every virus comes around in abundance in the fall. Apart from the seasonal viruses, there have been two moments in my life that really required professional medical attention. A tonsil operation and appendicitis followed each other in quick succession, which (in hindsight) were very clear red flags from the universe that should have called me to rest on the couch.
In this modern age, we are so Mind-oriented that contact with our bodies is not taken for granted. From our female cycle to feeling our emotions in our bodies, we are not engaged in the process, resulting in the many signals it gives not being seen. The connection that we, as women, have with our bodies and learning to read the signals has faded into the background.
During my journey in brainspotting, I learned how trauma manifests itself in our bodies and when we don't want to look at it, it can manifest as a mental and/or physical illness. I experienced the latter up close with my father when he had cancer, an initiation that brought all the dark shadows of the past to light for him.
Motherhood personally brought me more balance and awareness of my body. The magic of my pregnancy broke open all the doors of curiosity. Our hyper-intelligent body that grows a little human and sharpens physical intuition in this process. This initiated a search that will last a lifetime. Living with my cycle is a precursor to this, but every virus or ailment is a breadcrumb to answers, each bringing a piece of wisdom with it.
To decipher this language, I have compiled a read list for the muses with the help of my sister Amber Leugs (head chef at Stacks Diner, Amsterdam) with various wisdom about our magical body from various perspectives.
#1 Period Power - Maisie Hill
A brilliant book about the magic that the female cycle holds. Travel through the feminine seasons with knowledge to unlock a deeper understanding of female intuition and our feminine blueprint.
#2 De Zin van Ziekzijn - Thorward Dethlefsen & Rüdiger Dahlke (Dutch only)
The philosophy of getting better that gives a push to really face yourself on a deeper level. This is the encyclopedia of our physical symptoms that describes a more spiritual meaning of its existence.
#3 Healing With Whole Foods - Paul Pitchfork
Asian traditions and Modern Nutrition aka the food bible. This is over eight hundred pages life’s work of the author that covers topics like nutrition basics, weight loss, food combinations, fasting, pregnancy, children, aging, and disease.
#4 When The Body Says No - Gabor Maté
Doctor Gabor Maté explores the mind and body connection in overall health. His grounded scientific background but new age way of thinking are a divine intervention of both worlds supporting answers the world today needs.
No matter where you are in the process of decoding the signs your body gives you, these books have given me profound knowledge of the intelligence that is already there. What I mean by that is that during my twenty week echo, they checked all the organs and functions of my son and I remember how in awe I was about my body creating this complex life while my logical mind had no understanding of it's complexity. My intuition however during this 9 month magical time was at an all time high.
So even if we think we are not "knowledgable" about our physique, we are on a much deeper level connected to it and can hear the intelligent whispers of our bodies speak when we listen closely.
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