The Body’s Intelligence Part 1
August 3, 2025
The Body’s Intelligence Part 1
Join us for this week’s reflections on “The Body’s Intelligence.”
After climbing hundreds of steps, I arrived at the top of a 153 feet high tower atop Red Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama. At the top there was only a black iron rail separating me from the abyss below. I neared the edge to look downward, but the height made me weak and dizzy, so I quickly stepped back from the edge. I was only six or seven years old, but my body said, “You are in danger ... don’t go near the edge.” I will never forget my body’s reaction on that first visit to the famous iron statue of the Vulcan, a famous landmark in Birmingham. With maturity I have learned to trust heights, but not all of them. My body still tells me, like it did several years ago at the Grand Canyon, “Don’t get near the edge.”
All our body and its senses are attuned to what is amiss. Yet many of us are so out of touch with our bodies that we can miss these important messages it sends. Christy used to be scared of people walking up behind her and surprising her. Her fear began when a person scared her from behind so badly that she panicked and hyperventilated. Now she has developed an alertness to any invasion of her personal space and automatically knows when someone is approaching.
What other things does our body tell us? Sometimes our brains feel dull or out of commission, and we lose our immediate recall or our quick comebacks. These may be messages our system is sending us that we need more mental stimulation and challenge. When our body is tired, even after a good night’s sleep, it may be sending the message that we are emotionally fatigued.
Our bodies also tell us when we are out of alignment with our divine purpose. Aches, pains, disequilibrium, panic, depression, and fatigue are all possible signs of disconnection from our purpose. Having no contact with our purpose depletes our life force and affects our immune system. The body is too intelligent to let us fade away. It makes us sit up and take notice.
Spiritual practice: In meditation, scan your body for any messages it may be sending.
Self-inquiry: Right now, what is your body saying?
Dear God,
My body hears you. My body channels your love. Whatever blocks that channel, I pray to be removed. Amen.
