By Mary Thomas P.T.
I lived seriously ill for many years . I lived with pain I can’t even put into words. I would wake up in the middle of the night with chest pain so severe that I would soak between 6 to 8 towels with sweat. I had seen many doctors and despite their attempts to help me, the pain and sweating continued.
I was reading the bible in hopes of finding some answers. It was there that I discovered 4 phrases.
1. Love (you, me, others, etc) ….
2. Please forgive
3. I am sorry
4. Thank you (have a grateful heart)
I had the idea of talking to my body while using these four phrases in hopes of calming it. I would lay in bed with all the pain that I was experiencing and visualize my heart and speak to my body. Speak to your body, it’s parts and organs in a way that makes sense to you.
There are five steps in order to use the four phrases. This process is all about reconnecting with your body to support the healing process.
1. Visualize, in any way that make sense to you, the body part which is calling your attention by being in physical or emotional pain.
2. Pick a phrase and use it to being a sentence.
a. I am sorry you are hurting so much.
b. I am sorry I have taken you for granted.
c. I am sorry I have not taken care of you better.
d. I am sorry I did not know how to take better care of you.
e. I am sorry I have not heard you asking for help before you had to scream to get my attention.
f. I am sorry. . . . speak to your body sharing any feeling you have.
3. After you feel like you have said all the things you could be sorry for to your body, it is time to go onto the next phrase.
a. Please forgive me for contributing to your pain.
b. Please forgive me for taking you for granted.
c. Please forgive me for not seeing the miracle that you are.
d. Please forgive me for not caring for you better.
e. Please forgive me for not having heard you before you were screaming.
f. Please forgive me for not having a relationship with you before now.
g. Please forgive me for. . . .
4. After you feel like you have said all the things you could ask forgiveness for from your body, it is time to go onto the next phrase.
a. Thank you for allowing me to have this time to build a relationship now.
b. Thank you for hearing me now.
c. Thank you for being the miracle that you are.
d. Thank you for being willing to forgive me.
e. Thank you for all of your service over the years.
f. Thank you for being a part of my system which has allowed me to live, play, swim, and dance.
h. Thank you for. . . .
5. After you feel like you have said all the things you could be thankful for to your body, it is time to move onto the last phrase.
a. I love you for the miracle that you are.
b. I love that you have been there for me, even when I had no idea that you were even there.
c. I love you are willing to have a relationship with me now, despite my past behavior.
d. I love you are willing to heal with me and for me.
e. I love all the things you have enabled me to do throughout my life.
f. I love your gentle mercy of forgiveness.
g. I love. . . .
Continue this cycle until the pain subsides. If the pain returned repeat the phrases again. The more you communicate and connect to your body and it’s tissues, the less frequently and loudly (painfully) the body calls for attention. This leads to acceptance of and respect for your body. Eventually, this lead to becoming friends with your body which expands your wellness.