What Did Your Body Tell You This Morning?

By: Kisiah Cole, Founder of Calming Souls Massage

What did your body tell you when you woke up today?

Was it stiffness in your neck or shoulders? Tight hips? A low back that felt sore before you even stood up? Most people feel these things and move right past them. A quick stretch, a cup of coffee, and the day begins.

But your body was already talking to you.

So often we go through our life and not realizing that we’re constantly communicating with our bodies. Pain rarely comes out of nowhere. It’s usually the result of small signals that were ignored over time—tightness, restriction, subtle discomfort. Our bodies are incredibly intelligent. They adapt to whatever we repeatedly ask them to do. Sit for long hours? They learn to sit. Skip warm-ups? They learn to compensate. Avoid certain movements because they feel uncomfortable? The body remembers that too.

Over time, those adaptations become habits. Habits become patterns. And patterns, when left unaddressed, eventually turn into pain or injury.

I see this every day in my work. Athletes, professionals, disciplined people who push through discomfort because that’s what they’ve always done. Most don’t realize their body started asking for help long before it started hurting. Tight calves pulling on the knees. Limited hip mobility stressing the low back. Shoulder pain that actually starts in the upper back or neck.

The body doesn’t complain loudly at first.

It whispers.

When we slow down enough to listen, we can change the outcome. Awareness is the first step. Understanding what your body needs—and why—is where real recovery begins.

Photo of Kisiah Cole

So how do we move forward?

How do we become better at taking care of our bodies—and show them that we’re actually listening?

I’m glad you asked.

Step 1: Stand still and observe

One of the most powerful things you can do is also one of the simplest: stand still. (If you can stand on memory foam or something soft, that challenges your stability, even better) Yes—stand in one place and notice where your body settles.

• Do your knees lock?

• Do you shift your weight toward your toes or sink back into your heels?

• Are your ribs flaring?

• Are you leaning more to one side?

• Ask yourself: What habits have I created, and where is my body settling?

Your body is constantly communicating. Standing still allows you to finally hear it.

Step 2: Stretch with awareness

Stretching isn’t just about flexibility—it’s about information.

When you stretch, notice:

• Does your shoulder move when you turn your neck?

• Do your knees automatically lock when you bend forward?

• When you go into a hip stretch, can you hold it comfortably, or does another area take over?

These compensations tell a story. Often, muscles that shouldn’t be working overtime have stepped in because others aren’t doing their job. Spending just 5–10 minutes a day, holding stretches for at least 30 seconds, gives muscles time to truly release and gives you insight into what your body needs.

Step 3: Get a professional assessment

Another powerful way to listen to your body is by scheduling a new client session with Calming Souls Massage.

There’s a reason we call it a new client session. This isn’t just bodywork. It’s an assessment of the habits and patterns your body has built over time. We bring those patterns to the forefront so you can reconnect with your body and understand where your discomfort is actually coming from.

We look at the full picture—how you move, how you compensate, and how you live.

We ask the “boring” but important questions:

• How are you sleeping?

• Are you a side sleeper or stomach sleeper?

• How are your pillows positioned?

• When did the pain start?

• Have you had past injuries?

All of these details matter. Together, they help us identify when your body first started talking to you—when it realized it was being ignored—and when it felt the need to start yelling through pain.

If nothing else, take this with you

We are always telling our bodies what to do. We push, demand, and override. But we only get one body.

It deserves care.

It deserves compassion.

It deserves to be listened to.

Today, take a moment to check in with your body. And when you’re ready, schedule your New Client Session with Calming Souls Massage. We’re here to help you not only listen to your body—but understand it, support it, and care for it long-term.

Your body has been talking to you.

The question is: are you ready to listen?