I haven’t been feeling up to par lately.  It’s nothing serious, it’s just allergies from something or other growing or blossoming right now in Colorado.  But my energy has been so low.  I’ve been exceedingly tired.  Last night during meditation the insight that I got was to stop resisting the tiredness (Oh, I should be doing this, and Oh I should be doing that) and to just allow my poor body to rest.

When someone isn’t feeling well, rest is almost always the first order of business.  When we get tired, we need to sleep.  I remember reading once about a reporter who went on a spiritual retreat at a Buddhist center.  All the retreatants had a regular appointment with the spiritual leader every other day or so to discuss their progress.  The reporter went to meet with the teacher feeling a bit of trepidation.  She was afraid she’d be chastised because she hadn’t been to many of the meditations or teachings.  She reported she’d been so tired she was just sleeping and sleeping.  He kindly replied that sometimes sleeping is the most spiritual thing we can do.

In this culture we are so driven, we try to cram so much into our days, that many of us are walking around sleep-deprived.  So when you’re feeling out of sorts, let yourself sleep.  Not only will your body get the rest it needs, but you are likely to get some insights in your dreams.

I, for instance, just woke up from a nap in which I had been starting to prepare some potato soup.  So I will take that as a suggestion from my subconscious and I will make some for my lunch.  Potatoes have lots of vitamin C, after all.  To the potatoes I will add lots of onions because they are an antimicrobial and I will also add lots and lots of fresh local greens.  That wasn’t in my dream, but I know that greens are among the most nutritious plants on the planet.

So the second order of business when we aren’t feeling well is to feed ourselves well.  It’s time to maximize our nourishment so that our bodies have the resources to get themselves well.  In addition to good food, I will drink lots of good, clean water and I’ll make some herbal teas.  Nourishment comes in many forms.

Next I’ll try to figure out what supplements I need.  My instincts tell me to take extra vitamin C.  I just looked it up and one expert in natural healing recommended taking 2000 mg of vitamin C per day when fighting allergies.  Both my dream and my intuition were right!

How interesting.  I discovered, as well, that I am on-target with the onions in my soup.  I just read that “Ramping up your intake of quercetin, a bioflavonoid derived from onions, can not only benefit your diet, it can help minimize the occurrence of watery or itchy eyes, asthma and hay fever. ‘Quercetin has been proven effective for allergies, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, cold and flu, and has some promising research as an effective mast cell inhibitor for allergic conditions.’” (This recommendation is by naturopathic physician Tracy Beulne, http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/allergies/7-ways-to-fight-allergies-naturally.)

(Forgive me, please.  I am not attempting to turn this spiritual blog into a natural health blog, however I do advise listening to your intuition.  And isn’t it wonderful when our research confirms our intuition?!)

So after resting, dreaming, nourishing ourselves, and taking supplements, what else can we do when we want to take responsibility for our healing?  We pay attention to our spirit.  Is there something that’s been missing in your life?  Is there something you’re been longing to do?  Is there a relationship that needs to be healed?  Have you been feeling angry or scared or sad?  Is there something you’re been avoiding? Perhaps it’s time so pay attention to these spiritual and emotional needs.  Seek out a counselor, a spiritual advisor, or a therapist. Get the support you need.

When we are feeling out of sorts, it may simply mean it’s time to come back into balance.  Pay attention to your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and notice how much better you feel.

May you be blessed.  May you be well.