Are you aware that your body, right now, is deeply and innately intelligent? If you’ve ever heard the saying, the body doesn’t lie, it’s true! Our body can be our most reliable compass to navigate our lives - day to day, moment to moment. Learning to listen and be in our bodies, is a powerful key to lasting wellness.
Right now, as you sit here reading this, your body is giving you feedback through sensations, how well you’re breathing, if you’re hungry, thirsty, relaxed or contracted. Do a little body scan and see what you notice….
Good job.
Simply shifting your focus to your body brings your mind into present time which is where you can make a helpful choice or decision.
If you step back and consider all the layers and dimensions of the body, it’s remarkable: we have a set of senses to navigate and take in our environment with. We have responsive muscles that flex and relax, miles of circulating blood flow that’s pumped by electrical activity in our heart. Then there’s our skeletal system that protects our vital organs and allows these bodies to move, twist, fold, bend, run and so much more.
The body is a living, breathing masterpiece full of wonder and possibility. It’s time we give our body so much more credit, respect, attention and love!!
Your body will tell you what food it likes, how it wants to move, and it will also support you in processing feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, anger or frustration. It’s designed to hold all e-motion which is energy in motion.
When we are going through a challenging time, the body is a great place to start. Note what you’re feeling: tight chest, lump in your throat, heaviness, etc. Instead of trying to ignore what’s going on internally, try pouring your attention into it for a few minutes and see what happens.
Anodea Judith in her book Eastern Body Western Mind says, “In the body, we can think of sensations as the words, feelings as the sentences and emotions as the paragraphs. These building blocks are the primary levels of our experience through which our story unfolds, giving us meaning. Meaning integrates our felt sense of experiencing the world.”
Not only is our body brilliant, it’s also here to be a safe refuge for us if we give it the chance. Little by little, breath by breath, we can deepen our connection to our bodies and experience the precious gift of being at home in our body no matter where we are or what is going on.
-MK