Access your inner doctor

“A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thoughts to derive benefit from his illnesses.”
― Hippocrates

“The soul is the same in all living creatures although the body of each is different.”
― Hippocrates

How to access your inner doctor

The good thing about accessing your inner wisdom is that you can listen to yourself. Take your own advice.

When you quiet your mind, take a few moments for yourself, you will be amazed at the information that you can get.  There is a wealth of knowledge that can improve both how you feel and the quality of your life.

Recently when I went to for a check up with my doctor, I found that he was not listening to what I was saying.  He had a set of questions that he read off from the computer and ignored the information that I gave him. 

It is frustrating to have a physician that does not listen, and unfortunately it is all too common.  As an advocate for seniors, this is a huge problem area that needs attention, and at this time the best solution is to not only have a doctor that listens, but treats you as a whole person rather than just as a sum of parts.

Many doctors are surprised when a ‘patient’ comes in and understands their symptoms, dis-ease, or other problem that they are coming for help with.

Our bodies are intrinsically smart-our cells, tissues, organs and systems are constantly striving for homeostasis or balance.  When something starts to go wrong, the body will compensate to correct it. 

We will receive messages or symptoms from our bodies, whether on a mental, emotional, or physical level.  We might feel tired constantly, or lose our ability to sleep.  Our joints may hurt, or migraines may become a problem.  We have many lines of defense, and the best way to be healthy is to pay attention, and make immediate changes or seek help in the early stages of a condition or dis-ease.

Accessing your inner doctor:

Here are some easy steps to becoming self-aware.

1.  Develop body awareness.  Pay attention to what your physical body is telling you.  Ask yourself, is your symptom normal for you?  Is this symptom something new that is getting worse?  Does it keep you awake at night?

Yoga and tai chi are excellent ways to develop body awareness.

2.  Slow yourself down.  Take quiet time, by meditating, listening to music, or doing nothing at all. 

3.  Trust your inner voice, the messages you hear.  Listen to the whispers, before they become shouts.  Are you noticing that you want to change your diet, eat less meat, add fish, skip the junk food?  Does you body crave certain foods or herbs all of a sudden?  Follow those instincts.  Look up the herb or food you are craving, and see what vitamins it may have.  For example, you might be craving cherries, and cherries are good for reducing arthritic pain. Lately I have been craving licorice (root) which is excellent for helping the adrenal glands- they regulate stress in your body. 

4.  Look in the mirror.  What do you see?  Are there changes in your hair, eyes, face, body? The body will give clues as to what is happening inside of you.  Do you have dark circles under your eyes?  This may indicate not only lack of sleep but that you have an allergy, even a food allergy.  Use your senses to assess how you feel. 

5.  Follow through with your gut feeling.   If something feels wrong, it is probably is.

Trust what you feel and sense about yourself.  Research reputable sources for further information.  One of my favorite sites is drweil.com.  He is medical doctor who pioneered integrative medicine, and has a school in Tucson, Arizona that teaches nutritional principles to medical doctors.

Lastly, when you visit your physician, stay in your power.  You know yourself better than anyone else, and see the doctor as a partner, a person who helps you in your process of wellness.  Ultimately, it is you who can create super health for yourself.