Have you noticed how quick we are to obey everyday signals? We stop our cars when the traffic light turns red. We get out of the pool when the lifeguard blows the whistle. Even my kids follow their own set of signals at school— they know to stop talking and pay attention when the teacher lifts her peace fingers into the air. We seem to have no problem following these types of external signals, but somehow, we are quick to override the internal signals from our own bodies. We stop at traffic lights, but we blow through warning signals from our bodies that scream, “Slow down and rest!”

Yesterday was a constant battle for me between my mind and my body. I woke up feeling terrible— like hit-by-a-truck terrible. I didn’t feel sick, but I was overwhelmed with a sense of exhaustion that I’ve rarely felt. I knew that I didn’t have the energy to put on my exercise clothing and get on the elliptical machine, but I knew that if I skipped my morning exercise, I would feel sluggish and dull for the rest of the day. I hemmed and hawed and finally sat up on the edge of my bed and took inventory of how I felt. My hands and wrists were aching so much that I couldn’t curl my fingers to make a fist. My right knee was on fire. I was beyond exhausted. My body was screaming for me to rest. I was so tempted to limp down to my gym and do something…but then I realized how foolish that would be. My body was waving red flags and telling me to rest. So, even though it pained me to do so, I listened. I reset my alarm and slept for another hour.

After an extra hour of sleep, I didn’t feel any better. I limped downstairs to make breakfast for the kids and somehow managed to get my son off to school on time with a packed lunch. Once the house was quiet, I opened my laptop and started to review my to-do list:

-I had a magazine deadline in two days.

-I needed to oversee some graphic design work.

-I needed to type up a bunch of notes for an upcoming yoga retreat.

-I needed to incorporate a new ad onto our website.

-I had to schedule an appointment to get my daughter’s blood drawn at a local lab the next day.

-I had to re-order one medication from the pharmacy.

-I had a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon.

-I had to call the insurance company about a large hospital bill.

The list seemed never ending. My mind was dull and my body was unhappy. I was tempted to push through the warning signals. I made myself a big cup of black tea and sat back down to work… And then I realized that I was being ridiculous. I couldn’t focus on my work because I could only think about how terrible I felt. It was time to listen to my body. I shut down my laptop and climbed into bed. THAT is what my body needed. It needed rest to heal.

Today, take notice of your own body’s signals. Don’t override them.

-Are you nodding off each afternoon during work meetings?

-Are you going for a run, despite the sharp pain that you feel in your knee with each step?

-Are you ignoring pain in your belly and telling yourself each day that you must have eaten something bad?

-Are you popping pills every three to four hours to combat headaches?

-Have you experienced sudden, unexplainable weight loss or weight gain?

Pay attention! Your body is being kind enough to tap you on the shoulder and alert you when something isn’t quite right.

We are being bombarded with signals each day. It is our job to stop and tune into these signs and interpret them (or seek help interpreting them).

Many of you reading this post have a regular yoga practice. Today, I encourage you to take that same mindfulness that you have on your mats each day, and apply it to your life off the mat. Listen to your body. Don’t ignore the signals. Make changes, and seek help when necessary.