Your Body Knows How to Heal
All You Have To Do Is Let Go and Let It
When did it become “woo” to listen to the wisdom of our bodies?
Maybe it happened when our brains developed enough to think abstractly. Someone somewhere decided that in order to think about complicated topics, we had to completely ignore that pesky breathing, pulsing miracle of muscle, bone, organs, and tissue that we live in.
But I think that was a huge mistake. Our bodies evolved with us, and despite what we’ve been told, they are not just elaborate support systems for our brain. They are not just vehicles for consciousness.
Our bodies know things our minds can’t always explain.
They know how to process trauma without any input from us.
They sense danger before we’re mentally aware of it.
They feel when a person is right for us, when a job aligns with our purpose, when it’s time to slow down and rest.
And yes—our bodies know how to heal.
You might think that you have to figure out how to heal.
But you can’t think your way into healing.
Healing comes from surrender, from trust.
And if you want to heal, you need to let go of the need to outsmart your body. You need to get out of your head and allow your body show you the way.
You Know What It Feels Like to Ignore Your Body
I know you do because we all do it.
We ignore a cold because the kids have a full day of activities planned. We push through the burnout to show up at that important meeting for our job. We disregard the sinking feeling in our gut when we are handed a golden opportunity because who could say no?
But here's the truth: You could say no. And you should.
We live in a culture that teaches us to ignore our bodies in favor of our minds. To figure it out instead of feeling it out. To proceed logically instead of intuitively.
Meanwhile, our bodies keep giving us warnings, messages, and signals. They keep trying to correct our course, no matter how much we ignore them.
Eventually, the warnings become problems, the messages become screams, and the signals become symptoms we can no longer ignore.
…A migraine that knocks you out for a day…
…Back pain that flares up every time you sit down to work...
…Panic attacks that come out of nowhere…
…Exhaustion that no amount of sleep can fix…
The problems you are facing in your health are not random. They are targeted messages from your body asking you to wake up, to listen, to tune in.
Your body knows how to heal, and it will help you choose the perfect healing for you, but first, you have to learn how to listen.
How to Listen to Your Body
I still remember my first panic attack. There I was walking between my college dorm and the art building, when it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I don’t remember sitting down, but suddenly, there I was, clutching at my chest, trying to remember how to breathe, telling myself over and over:
It’s all in your head.
But that was my problem.
I was stuck in my head.
That first panic attack was my body’s way of telling me something wasn’t right. That I had been ignoring its messages for too long.
Nobody is really “healthy” in college. For many of us, it’s the first time we are fully responsible for taking care of ourselves. It’s normal to stay up late, smoke your first cigarette, drink too much too often . . .
By the middle of freshman year, I had found my body’s limit and that panic attack was my warning bell. If I was going to spend all of my time feeding my mind and starving my body, there would be consequences.
Unfortunately, I didn’t listen. After the panic faded, I continued to push my body to its limits and a constantly low level of anxiety became my new normal.
After college, my anxiety was a constant buzz in the background of my life. It was especially loud when I was faced with the kind of big life decisions that are common in your early 20s: What job should I take? Where should I live? Who did I want to spend the rest of my life with?
In my late 20s, it began to cycle through extremes. I was working 80-hour weeks as a waitress, frequently pushing my body beyond exhaustion. My anxiety peaked whenever I had time off, and I had to drink a glass of wine almost every night to quiet its voice.
Later, I quit waitressing and leaned fully into writing. I thought I would escape my anxiety when I quit the rat race, but it was still there—screwing with my digestion, tightening my throat, always on alert.
Looking back now, I can see that my anxiety was a warning—a signal from my body that something was out of alignment. And if I had listened sooner, maybe I wouldn’t have spent my 20s feeling like a nervous wreck.
But then again, maybe I needed those anxious years. Because even though it sucked being on edge all the time, my anxiety taught me how to listen to my body.
What Your Symptoms Might Be Trying to Say
Every body speaks a different language. But beneath the symptoms, there’s often a deeper message—an invitation to listen more closely to what your life is asking of you.
My anxiety was telling me to slow down and look for a different path. To take care of my body as much as I was taking care of my mind.
But your body and your messages will be unique to you.
You learn to listen to your body by tuning into its unique voice. By recognizing the patterns in your body’s messages. By finally taking responsibility for the role you play in perpetuating your health problems.
Here are a few of the body’s messages and their potential energetic significance.
Overweight? Maybe your body is trying to protect you from something—physically or emotionally.
Depressed? Your system might be trying to keep you from feeling overwhelmed. It could also be signaling a deep desire to realign with your purpose.
Migraines? You may be under too much pressure—mentally overstimulated, or carrying thoughts that need space to settle.
Digestive issues? Perhaps there’s something in your life you’re struggling to fully process or accept.
Hormonal imbalances? Maybe your body is tired of trying to stay regulated in an environment that doesn’t feel aligned.
Insomnia? Perhaps there’s something unresolved in your inner world that’s asking to be seen.
Muscle Tension? Your body might be holding onto something it hasn’t felt safe enough to release yet.
Plantar Fasciitis? You may be feeling unsupported—uncertain about your next step or afraid to move forward in life or business.
None of these things are a punishment or a failure. They’re signs that something needs attention. That something inside you is ready to shift—if only you’ll listen.
The Turning Point
My anxiety didn’t go away just because I recognized what was causing it. Sometimes, I still feel anxious and don’t know why.
But I started listening.
I noticed how I felt after certain conversations. Which people left me feeling more anxious, and which ones made me feel safe.
I paid attention to my diet and how my body felt after eating. I noticed that my anxiety increased on days when I didn’t move. I felt how anxious I was in the silence and I practiced resting.
And slowly, I started making different choices.
Not because I figured it all out. But because I stopped pretending my body was the problem.
My healing didn’t come from someone else’s perfect protocol or 10-step plan. It came from rebuilding trust with myself. From treating my body like a friend instead of an enemy.
The more I listened, the more I heard. The more I honored what I heard, the safer I felt. And the safer I felt, the more my body began to heal.
Where to Begin
If you are ready to let your body heal, you begin by listening and taking action.
Maybe that seems too easy, but it’s really that simple.
This isn't about having a perfect routine. It's about creating a relationship with yourself—a conversation between your mind and body that starts with one simple rule: Get out of your head. Stop trying to figure it out. Let your body lead. And when your body gives you a clear message, act on it.
Here are a few ways to improve your relationship with your body.
1. Get into your body daily
Exercise is great, but any movement is better than nothing. You need to move your body to hear its messages. Movement shifts energy and makes you more aware of what is alive inside of you at any given moment.
You don’t have to kill yourself at the gym to get into your body.
You can:
Do some gentle stretching as soon as you wake up
Dance in your living room
Go for a walk without your phone
Shake out tension
Remember, the goal isn't to make yourself look or feel a certain way—it's being present with your body while you move.
2. Pause before you push
We are taught to keep pushing until something breaks. Don't. Take your time and let your body heal at its own pace.
You can't force yourself to be ready. Your body will tell you when it's time to move, to rest, to change. Listen.
When you feel the urge to push through:
Take a breath
Check in with how you actually feel
Ask your body: What do you need right now?
Do that thing
This last step is the most important because it reinforces the message that your body is safe with you. It told you what it needed and you did it. This simple act is the first step to trusting yourself again.
3. Journal without thinking
Stream of consciousness journaling can help you interpret your body's messages. When you allow thoughts to flow without censoring them, you can get to the root of your feelings with more ease.
Try this:
Set a timer for 10 minutes
Write without stopping
Don't edit
Let whatever wants to come out, come out
This practice changed my life. I do stream of consciousness journaling every day and I’ve never felt more connected to what is going on in my inner world.
4. Use energy work to clear blocks
There are countless ways to clear energetic blocks and tune into your body:
EFT Tapping
Meditation
Yoga
Breathwork
Qi Gong
Somatic experiencing
The most important thing: Choose what feels right to you. If something doesn't resonate, try something else.
Once you’ve started exploring practices that connect you to your body’s wisdom, the real work begins: trusting what comes up.
Because healing isn’t linear and it will never make sense—it’s just something that happens when you finally surrender to the process.
You Choose Your Healing
My healing journey started with a small shift in perspective:
I didn’t have to force my body to heal. I allowed it to heal.
I get to wake up every day and choose a healthy body, a healthy mind, a healthy life. And when you’re ready to heal, you get to choose your healing too.
Healing doesn't look the same for everyone. What works for your friend might feel completely wrong for you. What worked for you last year might not work now.
Trust the healing that excites you and makes you want to take action. The healing that makes your body breathe a little deeper. The healing that feels like coming home to yourself.
Not the healing that sounds good on paper. Not the healing your therapist recommends. Not the healing your mom thinks you should try.
Your body will tell you when something is right. You'll feel it in your gut. In the way your shoulders drop. In the quiet feeling of yes in your heart.
Don't force it. Don't rush it.
Because I hate to break it to you, but there is no final destination. You will never be “healed.” But if you start to listen to your body, you will get where you need to go.
Let Go and Let It
Healing isn't about having the perfect plan. It's about creating space for what your body already knows how to do. And when you stop trying to outsmart your body, you finally see that the healing you are looking for is already inside you.
Your body doesn't need you to fix it. It needs you to trust it.
It has been speaking to you all along. In aches, fatigue, unexplained anxiety—these symptoms are not random. They're messages. Signals asking you to pay attention.
And just like you don’t need to tell your skin how to close a cut or instruct your stomach the best way to digest, you don’t have to micromanage your healing.
Your only job is to get out of the way. To stop fighting, controlling, resisting.
To trust your body. To make space for rest when you're tired. To listen when something doesn't feel right. To eat food that makes you feel alive. To move in ways that bring you joy. To breathe deeply.
Your body knows how to heal.
All you have to do is let go and let it.
With love and light,
This Week’s Journaling Prompt—
What are the most common ways your body tries to speak to you? Headaches? Digestive issues? An achy shoulder? Take some time to sit with the discomfort next time it comes up and ask it— what can I do to help you heal? Journal about what you discover.
And don’t forget to share this post with someone who needs to let their body heal itself.
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