But really what is it and what does it have to do with recovery, injury, or illness?
In my opinion, quite a lot. The Sherlock Holmes in me may disagree but Holmes never had to solve the case of his own body, did he?
Our good friends at Merriam Webster define it as "the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference." Interesting. Intuition is the "power" to get "knowledge" but it does not include "rational thought". So intuition is not rational? Perhaps. But it does give you knowledge, right? I am in agreement that it has nothing to do with thought. If I could think my way to recovery, I would have been healed months ago.
Given all that, I think people should put stock in their intuition, and the intuition of those around you. As I have said before if I had trusted my wife's intuition, I wouldn't be in this mess. I probably never would have broken my hip. She didn't want me to go on that ride. She offered to pick me up half way through. She said she had a "bad feeling". I ignored her pleadings and didn't listen to her. Now I can walk thanks to some metal screws holding me together. Shows what I know. Her intuition told her something was going to happen to me and I ignored it. Well let's just say now when she says she has a bad feeling, I listen.
That's why I think intuition and recovery go hand in hand. Intuition is a feeling. Pain is a feeling. Hunger is a feeling. The only way our bodies can talk to us is through feeling. And in some strange hokey way, it knows things before they actually happen. I know that sounds a little far-fetched but there is something there. So as we recovery we need to listen to the little messages our intuition tells us. It is the only way to know if we are going in the right direction.
I recently debated about adding or replacing some kettlebell or body-weight exercises with some barbell exercises. There was exercise in particular that is considered one of the best - the deadlift - and I thought it would be beneficial. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it it wouldn't be appropriate for me. I had this feeling I would get hurt. And I wanted the feeling of throwing around some weight. What I would get, though, would be another injury. Barbells are forgiving. Either you are in form to use them or you are not. I certainly am not. This time I listened.
Another time right before my wife and I got married, my wife was heading back to her apartment. She was on the phone with her sister who begged her not to go because she had a bad feeling. She listened to her sister and didn't go. I went to her place a few hours later and found it had been broken into. And this was 5 days before our wedding. My sister in law - like my wife - has some crazy sixth sense intuition. When they feel something, you listen.
And with recovery all we have to go on is feeling. The doctors and therapists can make recommendations but if it doesn't feel right, then we need to question it. There is a lot less science in recovery. Yes scientifically they put screws in my hip to put the bones back together and then scientifically it did fuse back together. But after that it has been all feeling. By everyone. The doctor has his feeling - probably influenced by experience as does the therapist. The massage therapist. the chiropractor. The personal trainer. Then we have our own. Which is the most important.
Perhaps the only scientific fact left in my recovery is X-rays. And even those are are interpreted through subjective lenses. Sometimes the doctors see what they want to see and their intuition tells them to make a diagnosis or recommendation. There is not a sure fire way to fix whatever is appearing on the screen. We can get information but the information does not make the decision, a feeling does. And if anyone says differently they are lying.
In the kindest of ways, people always think they know they way to heal us bruised and battered. And sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. And the amount of suggestions can be dizzying at times. Everyone has an idea on how to help. And I think people should explore as many options as they should but ultimately settle into the ones that feel right. For me I could be doing other things but my intuition tells me to focus on some mobility and light yoga, strength work, and riding my bike. That is pretty much all I do aside from a massage every couple of weeks and the occasional chiropractic adjustment.
I have thought about doing other things. I have even ignored advice to perhaps not do as much strength work until after my pelvis is better aligned. But that doesn't feel right to me. I like the weight room. I like doing pull-ups and dips in the garage. I feel at home in these places. And as much as I feel like I have changed, that hasn't changed. I know where I belong. Either walking perfectly or with limping with a cane. I don't dislike the yoga studio but I like the weight room better. I like Pilates but I need something different now. I like how I feel after doing what I have chosen to do. I feel like I am going in the right direction. I think.
So whatever your body is telling you, you need to listen. And listen over time - because it changes. If you are tired, listen. If you are hurt, listen. Your body can't speak so you need to listen to those little messages. And though the dictionary says it isn't factual, I think it more useful. Recovery facts are few and far between. There is no law of gravity to abide by. There is only the law of what we feel to be right at that very time.
All we have is what we feel. It is what us makes us human. So use the intuition to your advantage and to the advantage of those around you. You get better and you'll get better happier. As we manage our own care, we can't rely on tests as if we were testing the air temperature. We have these finicky bodies that talk to us how they want to, not how our minds suggest. Go with your intuition - trust your gut as they say, you'll heal faster.
Thanks for reading...
No comments:
Post a Comment