I’ve been experiencing some health issues over the past couple of weeks. Throughout the process, I have been riding quite an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes I’ll go from feeling happy, hopeful, and positive to discouraged, depressed, and negative, just within a matter of minutes. Yesterday was one of those days. As I cried to my husband (again) last night, I found myself saying these words out loud:
“I hate this body.”
And then I felt my soul gasp. Quickly, I corrected, “No, I don’t.”
Later in the evening, I pled with the Lord to help me keep my thoughts positive. I whispered over and over, “Help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:25). I know I need to be kinder to my body in my thoughts. I know that my body won’t be whole until my thoughts are whole.
With that in mind, I give you a post from the archive. Thank you, Felice, for this reminder to be kind to myself (and others) in my thoughts.
Thank you, Body. —Lani
Thank You Body. Thank You Baby. I Love You Baby.
By Felice Austin
This week I have been working on a chapter for the book called “Constant Nourishment” and it has taken me deep into the Lord’s Law of Health. This includes Word of Wisdom (D&C 89) and some other scriptures, including this one:
“Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to they bed early that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” (D&C 88:124)
What I almost skipped over, until alarm bells went off in my head, is the line sandwiched in the middle that says: “cease to find fault one with another.” This doesn’t seem to have much to do with our physical health, but I figured if it is in the middle of this verse, it was no accident. So I meditated on it and I have come to the conclusion that finding fault one with another does, in fact, affect our health and others’ health (even if we don’t speak the words out loud).
My acupuncturist once told me that people in verbally abusive relationships were sick twice as often. I’m sure there is a study on this because I have read it elsewhere, but I don’t have it for you at the moment. I do have something else though.
When I was pregnant I discovered a book called the Hidden Messages in Water. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist did experiments on water by speaking different words to it, playing music, showing the water pictures, etc. He then froze and photographed the crystals that the water formed. The water that was spoken words of love and gratitude formed breathtakingly beautiful crystals. The water that was called bad names, exposed to heavy metal music, or shown disturbing images would not even form a crystal—the images looked like deformed blobs. And, interestingly, the deformed water was then prayed over or blessed and when refrozen and rephotographed, it formed beautiful crystals again.
He said all kinds of things to the water but he determined that the most beautiful crystals formed from the combination of love and gratitude.
This is a powerful visual testament to the effect that words have on our constitution, which is anywhere from 70-90% water, depending on your age. Babies in the womb start out almost 100% water.
Learning this during pregnancy was important to my journey. I made more conscious decisions about who I was around, the movies I watched, and I was even more aware of the looks that strangers gave me on the street. I smiled more, so people would smile back. I didn’t want any negativity directed at me or my unborn child. My mantra during pregnancy was “Thank you body. Thank you baby. I love you baby.” I know that my body and my baby were as healthy as they were because of this love and gratitude.
What are your experiences with this?
I just found this post from CJane about how positive words, thoughts and prayers saved her pregnancy. Check it out and please share your experiences with me.
This is one of my all time favorite posts. Chronic illness, especially when it is a mystery, is such a roller coaster ride and those lows can get pretty low sometimes.
I’ve been trying to find ways to be more positive lately and this was just what I needed to read today. Thank you, Lani (and Felice and CJane). I’m already trying this out and it feels good. I hope you’re back to feeling well soon.
Chronic illness that is a mystery is often the mind putting pain in the body. Positive thoughts and affirmations and mantras are the exact right place for you to go. Keep doing it!