In the context of conscious body awareness and resolving health issues, three questions are of importance: When did it (the affliction) start? What has changed (just before that moment)? and What can I change (to resolve the issue)? In this article, I discuss the last question: What can I change?
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At first sight, “What can I change?” may seem the same question as “Can I do it differently?”. However, there’s a difference. Can I do it differently is specifically targeted at exploring your body, while looking for “what you can change” or “what you can adapt” is aimed at resolving a bodily complaint.
Thus, after you’ve identified the (probable) cause of a bodily complaint through the questions When did it start? and What has changed?, it’s usually pretty easy to see what needs to be done to improve things.
In fact, most of it comes down to removing the cause. For instance, a bad pillow, office chair, or kitchen cutting table, or food that is inappropriate for your body constitution should be replaced. Sometimes, you can also adapt your way of engaging in an activity and do things differently, which may resolve the issue.
Another example: if you notice that you often experience muscle soreness during physical activities, you may want to train your body to be better prepared. For instance, you could start incorporating regular workouts or physical exercise.
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Sometimes, changes may need to be more drastic. For example, to avoid air pollution, the best solution might be to move to another location. If you work for a company that consistently neglects ergonomic aspects for its employees, you may need to consider changing jobs.
If you discover that your predominantly sedentary lifestyle is causing back pain, reduced range of motion, or weight gain, you’ll need to consider how to bring more movement into your life.
At any rate, after making a change, it is important to listen attentively to your body to observe what happens and how it reacts. In fact, making a change brings you back to exploring your body and reflecting on the questions: What am I doing?, What do I sense? and Can I do it differently?
