A recent conversation with a good friend reminded of the amazing book, You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise L. Hay. I read the book years ago, and had forgotten all the great information about the mind-body connection in the second half of the book (or maybe I never got that far?)

I remembered that I used to get a lot of headaches when I was working full-time so I turned to the index and looked for “headache.” On page 145, Louise has a chapter that includes a list from her book, Heal Your Body. The list includes various physical problems, their probable cause (from Louise’s perspective) and the “New Thought Pattern” that she believes will resolve the problem. This is not a medical book—it’s a mind-body book—and it’s totally fascinating!

Under the problem “Headache,” Louise lists the probable cause as: “Invalidating the self. Self-criticism. Fear.” The new thought pattern she recommends to resolve the headache is: “I love and approve of myself. I see myself and what I do with eyes of love. I am safe.”

Over the last 10 years my headaches have gotten less and less frequent, which is wonderful on a physical level but it also directly correlates with my experience of myself and my life. I used to be very afraid of making a mistake and very self-critical. And I used to “invalidate” my wants and needs all the time (every working physician does.) I would think, “I’m really hungry,” then go see another patient. Or, “I really need a break,” then keep working, sometimes for hours and even days.

I’ve always thought it was interesting that I gained three pounds immediately after going from full-time to part-time work as a physician. I simply stopped skipping meals. There have been other times when I’ve chosen to “invalidate” myself, such as when my son was an infant—but when I was working as a physician there seemed no end to the invalidation. With my son, there was a gradual improvement in my ability to get my needs met and still care for him.

With the passing of the years, I have also experienced a gradual improvement in my ability to identify and express my needs and wants. That’s another reason, I believe, headaches are now a rarity for me.

I once met a man while I was on a writing retreat. He was a handyman who had dropped a piece of glass on his head. Because he was bleeding, I was called to check him out. I cleaned and bandaged his wound while he explained that every time he had an accident like this he took it as a sign that there was something in his life he needed to examine. Since then, I do the same thing. When I am jolted by some minor accident and ask the question, “What do I need to pay attention to in my life?” the answer never fails to appear.

Our bodies and our minds are linked in ways we don’t yet understand. Our bodies can be wonderful allies that help us navigate our lives with more peace and joy.

What is your body telling you today?

(For some reason, I couldn’t add any links to this post. Louise L Hays books are all available at her website, www.louisehay.com.)