Being body aware is paramount to ongoing health.

However, numerous times in the past I’ve ignored the messages about pain my body was sending, only to later suffer the repercussions. Currently, I’m elbow-deep in medial epicondylitis—commonly referred to as golfer’s elbow.  
This is my second time on this merry-go-round: same condition, different arm. So why did my problem reoccur? As you’ll learn from this issue’s experienced writers Cindy Williams and Mark Liskey (“Movement Therapies” and “Massage: Your Gateway to Body Awareness”), my reinjury was a combination of my stubbornness to persist at the activities I love—even though I sensed something was amiss—and the fact that my body was compensating for my injured state.
With knowledge comes understanding, and with understanding
comes peace.
Through Cindy’s guidance (she’s also one of my massage therapists), I’m taking a more balanced approach to my recovery process. Gone are the days when I insisted on powering through or resuming activities before my body was ready. Today, my regimen for healing incorporates a number of health strategies: physical therapy, massage therapy, and movement therapies. Each of these are powerful allies in my fight to get back on track.
Even more important, however, is my newfound self-awareness. I’m attuned to my body, listening, aware of changes, even subtle ones. That attentiveness, brought about specifically by bodywork, is a godsend in learning to appreciate the time it takes to heal.
Cindy writes in her article, “As with anything you wish to master, your participation, dedication, and daily practice are required.” To her list, I would add patience and gratitude.
We hope our articles in this issue help you to be more body aware on your own journey. Tune in. Listen. Your body’s talking.

-Darren Buford, Body Sense Editor