Thursday A Taste of Flava

Desert Heat, Seattle Rain & Listening to My Body

There is something I have been paying close attention to lately.

My body.

Not in a fearful way.

Not in an obsessive way.

But in a way where I am finally slowing down enough to truly listen to what it has been trying to tell me.

And this week, something clicked in my mind.

I started thinking about the difference between how my body felt in Las Vegas versus how my body feels living in Seattle.

Now let me say this first — I had double knee replacement surgery in 2016, and to this day, I still do not have pain in my knees. That alone still amazes me.

But these hips?

Baby… these hips are telling their own story right now. 😁

As I sat in my tower this morning with my small heater going, music softly playing in the background, I realized something.

For the last two mornings, I have been walking better.

Not cured.

Not magically fixed.

But better.

And I started wondering if part of what my body is responding to is warmth.

Not just a heating pad.

Not just temporary heat.

But the feeling of my body not spending the entire night cold, tight, stiff, and bracing itself.

Seattle is beautiful. I love Seattle deeply. The water, the gray skies, the rain, the calmness, the soul of this city… it fits me.

But Seattle weather sits differently on the body than Las Vegas.

Vegas gave me:

dry heat warm air less dampness less heaviness in my joints and a body that felt looser and freer

Seattle gives me:

cold mornings damp air pressure changes stiffness and moments where my body feels contracted and tight

And now I find myself asking:

“How do I recreate little pieces of that desert warmth here in Seattle?”

Not because I think heat will fix everything.

It won’t.

But maybe comfort matters more than we realize.

Maybe environment matters more than we realize.

Maybe our bodies respond to warmth, softness, calmness, and reduced tension in ways we overlook while trying to push through life.

I even thought about soaking in a bathtub regularly because I know warmth helps me.

But realistically?

Right now that is not safe for me.

With my hips and current strength limitations, getting in and out of a bathtub safely would be difficult. And part of loving yourself honestly is acknowledging what is safe and what is not.

So instead, I am exploring realistic approaches:

keeping my room warmer using heating pads pacing my exercises differently listening to my body staying hydrated paying attention to stiffness and creating an environment where my body feels less guarded

What’s interesting is that the more I listen to my body instead of fighting it, the more clearly it communicates with me.

This morning:

I walked better I had less stiffness my digestion improved and my body simply felt calmer

That matters.

Sometimes healing is not about one giant answer.

Sometimes it is about paying attention to the small things that make your body whisper:

“Thank you.”

— Lady Flava 🌻