A taste of my own medicine

If you read my recent blog, you’ll know that a few weeks ago I had what most people would call an accident — a classic FOOSH (fall on an outstretched hand) that left me with a painfully subluxed (partially dislocated) finger.

But rather than simply asking, “How do I fix this?”, I found myself with an opportunity to taste my own medicine and become curious. What might this experience have to teach me?

The timing felt significant. I had just spent the day with a friend who is naturally generous and kind. She gives to me in ways that leave me feeling deeply grateful, but also, if I’m honest, occasionally uncomfortable.

I noticed a familiar inner story: that I shouldn’t be “needy” or a nuisance. As we walked together, laughing and singing childhood jingles, I tripped and fell. In that moment, my hand — a part of the body associated with both giving and receiving — became a wonderful opportunity for reflection.

Looking back, I realised my body had given me a chance to explore something I had been noticing: how willing am I to receive support from others?

The strain wasn’t just something to recover from physically. It became an invitation to reflect on my beliefs around worthiness, support and self-care.

This is one of the things I value about exploring the relationship between body and mind. Our symptoms and sensations can sometimes offer valuable information, not only about the physical body, but about how we are living, adapting and responding to life.

When we listen with curiosity and compassion, healing becomes more than simply fixing what we believe is wrong. It becomes an opportunity to understand ourselves more deeply and to support the body’s own capacity for balance.