The Speed of the Body

It always amazes me to watch a little scratch or cut on the skin heal. The body just does it, reliably. Yet, it takes a few days. That is a few days too long for the speed of the mind or also our daily life culture. NOW is the instrumental word for any deadline. We love that word and we are hooked on it. It makes things happen while we are watching and while our mind is still focused on it. We also want it from our body. But at what cost?

Flu season is in full blast. Every time I call my mother in Austria, she gives me a list of people who had the flu. It is part of life. We would get the flu, stay home in bed, drink medicinal teas and sweat it out. To this day it is not much more than having a cold. They still have time to be sick.

At my new home, San Diego, most people take a flu shot, no matter their age or risk factors. Here, we don´t have time to get sick and don´t want to have to stoop to the slow, slow pace of the body putting its pieces together. Even though it reliably does it, but it does not do it fast enough. It is concerning that the body gets so little say in its own processing and in the way it functions. Medicine has become its legal guardian, it does not need a voice of its own anymore.

Pills are fast, surgeries are intense, forming the body in a way it is supposed to be. I wonder how it must be for the body, not being heard and not entitled to its own speed. It must be like having a partner who is a very fast thinker and is always on the go, while you yourself are more the book reading and staying in and cuddle kind of person. Being exposed to excessive speed will sooner or later make you feel wrong,  broken, not good enough. You can try for a while and be faster and more outgoing, but eventually you will feel so down on yourself and low in energy that giving up seems like the only option.

I grew up taking ownership of my health and observing my body`s state on a regular basis. If something was off, we would subscribe ourselves to a medicinal tea cure, which meant preparing and drinking a certain type of tea several times a day for 3 or more weeks at a time, pausing, and repeating it if needed. The body slowly restored itself, aided by the teas healing properties. Sometimes it took temporary dietary changes to go along with it, or making sure to get extra sleep, keeping warm or getting more sunshine, depending on the ailment. We also consulted a Doctor when needed, but not as the only option always.

These experiences are a blessing to me still today. They help me be more patient with my body and more in tune with it. I think it is not about having a good and not good constitution that determines our health. It is about tuning in to our bodies` needs or not. It takes constant vigilance and work to give the body what it needs to function well. But it is very much worth it - and can be fun! I have not had a cold or flu or illness in decades, but I did feel under the weather at times and made sure I slowed down and got extra rest and improved the nutritional value of my food choices. So far, this works well for my body and my mind. And if one day it does not, change will need to happen. No time, I can almost hear to be the argument. Maybe, can´t afford it, as another reason against it. Well, one thing I know for sure: It takes a lot of time to have a severe chronic decease, and it is very, very expensive. Nip it in the bud! And carry on having a good time. It is not about how old we get in life, it is with what quality of life and health we get there.