Being one with the rhythm of my body has been a game changer. I am not getting on a soapbox telling you that there is a prescriptive diet, an amount of sleep and definitive number of steps that you MUST take in a day. There are plenty of people that would be happy to tell you how many calories, minutes of sleep down to the second, and how many miles to walk and at what pace.

What I am saying is that I know the dramatic effect that food, rest and movement had on my mind, body and soul. I found it out by finally noticing the cranky fits and roller coaster mood swings I would feel, with or without immediate stress present. Month after month, I found it difficult to fall asleep only having to face another early start the next morning to get back to the grind. I ate to feed my pain and made no time to move and play. At my worse, I felt like there was an energetic and emotional coagulation in my mind and body.

It dawned on me that even my baby daughter had her own rhythm. She needed to be fed, put down to nap consistently, and allowed to stay up for playtime. If the baby is “off its schedule”, all hell breaks loose. It is tantrum city.

This is when I realized that I was no different. As I threw my latest emotional tantrum, I could feel and see the “helpless” side—the infant part of me—calling out for nourishment through food, rest or play. And not all of my tantrums were directed outwardly. Most of the time, they were inward and would feel like a tornado passed through my soul. I began playing with the big 3… eating, sleeping, and playing differently to measure their impact on my mood and outlook.

Today, I love the feeling of freedom and control that this process has given me. I am tuning in to MY body and mind to decide what I need in each of these areas. It is always shifting and evolving as my life shifts and evolves.

I am tuning out the experts that claim to know exactly what will optimize my vitality, as if every person on the face of the planet is exactly the same… body, mind and spirit. I am not rigid about any of this. When I have a big day coming up, I make sure I am in bed early the night before so I have plenty of sleep. When I am busy, I make sure I do not skip meals without having some nourishment handy. When I have been sitting all day feeling mentally and emotionally depleted, I get my butt out of the house and take a walk or a refreshing swim. This is my prescription and as a result, I feel my energy flowing again. If I don’t listen to the signals or give myself what is ideal, I stir up the cranky baby. Without punishing myself, I ease into the flow again as soon as possible and get back to feeling for the rhythm.

Tune in to your body, mind and spirit and notice the infant part of you crying out for whatever you need.