Cry if you need to.

Last week I got to hold my new niece for the first time.  It’s an amazing feeling to hold the little human that your sibling created.  I watched her yawn and sneeze, cry and smile.  She has the cutest nose and wrists.  And she, like all babies, is tremendously in tune with her needs.  She may not be able to use words to communicate, but she certainly communicates with noise, movement and facial expressions.  I think we have a lot to learn from these little humans.

Can you believe we were once that small – small enough that we could be held in a single arm?  We entered the world crying and squirming, needy and dependent.  We were keenly aware of the sensations in our body and we cried, kicked or smiled to communicate what we needed.  One cry meant we were tired.  Another one meant we were hungry.  Yet another meant we needed to lie on our belly instead of our back.  Or we wanted to be held by mommy [not by the other strangers in the room].  We had a response to almost every sensation — we were in tune with our needs.  And we had the wisdom to open our mouth and let out a sound to communicate those needs [Thanks mom and dad for responding to my cries for help].

I believe we still have the inner wisdom to know what we need – yet many of us have become disconnected from it over the years.  At some point along the way, we began to disconnect from our own body and look externally for what we need [or think we need].

There are all kinds of messages out there telling us how to be healthy, happy and well.  It’s confusing. So we find ourselves asking questions like

should I go with a paleo or vegan diet?
is whole milk good or bad?
how many steps do I need to get today?
will coconut oil really make my hair grow faster and my skin smoother?

But, what if we could be a bit more like the wise little human we were created to be? I’m not suggesting that you kick and cry when you’re hungry [though I’ve been close to doing so myself].  But I am suggesting that we ask ourselves a different set of questions –

am I hungry or bored?
do I really want to watch another episode of this show or do I just need to sleep?
do I need exercise or rest?
do I need this piece of chocolate or do I really just want to be held?
can I do this on my own or do I need to cry [or call or text] for help?

Tune in and listen closely.  Feel the sensations in your body.  Notice the difference between hunger and satisfaction, tiredness and laziness.  Notice when you need to squirm and move and when you need to be held.  And go ahead – cry if you need to.