A Reader writes:
I wonder if Focusing can help me improve my physical health.
Dear Reader:
Yes! There are a number of ways that Focusing can help you improve your physical health.
ONE. With Focusing, you become more attentive and sensitive to your body’s messages. For example, I can tell immediately when certain foods affect my digestion or my mood.
One woman detected her own lung cancer at a very early stage (when it was treatable) by sensing something odd in her lungs. Through Focusing, she had learned to sense and discern at a very subtle level. Her doctors scoffed at first when she said she could feel something “foreign” there. But she turned out to be right… and her treatment was successful.
TWO. With Focusing, you can be more aware of your physical needs. One big one for me is my need to rest my eyes, or to stand up and stretch. Because I’m listening to my body, I don’t push past the signals to take a break.
One man with back pain learned to pause before lifting something heavy and ask his body, “How would you like to do this?” His body was grateful!
THREE. When you are deciding between treatments for an illness, Focusing can help you discern what would be right for you. I remember helping my sister do Focusing to decide whether a stronger chemo regimen, recommended by her doctor, would be right for her. She sensed her body saying, “Yes, I need something strong.” There was an inner sense of being supported. Though she had more side effects with that treatment, she didn’t mind.
FOUR. Living with an illness or other physical condition can be challenging. We may need to receive help from others more often. We may need to accept doing less than we want to do. We may have thoughts like, “What if this goes on forever?” and “What did I do to bring this on?” Focusing can help with all of these challenges, by helping you create a compassionate relationship with the parts of you that feel this way.
“I am sensing something in me that is worried about this going on forever, and I am gently saying hello to that.”
Here’s to your good health!
