When the Body Speaks: Listening to Your Physical Self After a Long Season

Ministry is embodied work. We carry stress in our shoulders, grief in our chests, and exhaustion in our bones. Yet many clergy have been trained—explicitly or implicitly—to ignore the body in service of the calling.

January is often when the body finally speaks.

After Advent, Christmas, and year-end responsibilities, fatigue may surface as illness, chronic pain, disrupted sleep, or emotional numbness. These are not signs of weakness; they are signals.

Listening to the body is a spiritual discipline.

Jesus’ incarnation affirms that bodies matter—not only as vessels for service, but as sacred sites of God’s presence. When we attend to physical needs—rest, movement, nourishment—we honor the God who took on flesh.

This month, consider gentle practices of bodily care:

• Schedule medical or wellness check-ins you postponed.

• When fatigue shows up, pause for short, regular walks instead of pushing through.

• Pay attention to hunger, thirst, and the need for rest.

• Notice where tension lives in your body—and what it might be holding. Explore and address what you find.

For congregations, leaders who model embodied care give permission for others to do the same. This is especially important in communities shaped by historical trauma, overwork, or survival-based faith.

Reflection:
What is your body asking for as this year begins?