What's your body doing right now?
Our bodies communicate to us clearly and specifically,
if we are willing to listen to them.
-Shakti Gawain
Our body's sensations are our greatest informants.
Our judgement about those sensations often gets in the way of receiving the useful bits of the information - we usually just want it to be something else:
We want the pain to go away, so we pop a pill.
We want some skin blemish to disappear, so we mask it.
We feel immobile in some area of our body, so we do not move it anymore.
We have an emotion that we judge as unpleasant and we distract (or numb) ourselves from it.
The list can go on.
Instead of silencing the body's messages, we are well advised to notice with focus, without judgment, which is the mindful way.
Being mindfully body aware means you notice what the heck is going on with your body. From there you canb act in a way that supports your wellbeing. It needs curiosity - and a bit of courage, because we might not necessary like what we notice.
Body awareness includes both physical sensations and also emotions. It also involves being aware of your posture, moving parts, and breathing.
Why does body awareness matter?
Studies have shown body awareness helps with:
balance and stability
mobility
pain management
weight management
self-care
stress management
emotional resilience
self-regulation
You most likely already know or even practice some modalities that enhance the body awareness, like yoga, mindfulness, pilates, tai-chi, gi-gong, Feldenkrais, progressive muscle relaxation, martial arts, dancing, or others.
We can improve body awareness as well by doing some everyday activities, if we apply a mindful approach:
Mindful Walking: feeling the pressure of your feet on the ground, sensing the movement of your legs and hips, noticing how your arms move as you walk
Mindful Eating: noticing the taste, texture, and temperature of your food; knowing when you’re full
Mindful Sitting: feeling the contact of your body against the surface below
Mindful Breathing: feeling the rise and fall of your chest or belly, the movement of air through your nose or mouth
The key is to notice. Develop some curisoity around whatever that is you noticed: "Oh, interesting, I can feel my heart beating quicker in my chest. What do you want to tell me, body?" Maybe there is a looming deadline or a conversation coming up you are dreading. If you walk into those things without having taking action, you might be super stressed and not your best self. With some judgmental-free inquiry, you might notice that there is some preperation missing in order to fulfill the deadline or you need some more information in order to conduct that conversation in a way that supports you. Once you have noticed, you can go ahead and do the prep. This may calm your nerves and your heartbeat moves to normal.
This works when you let go of the judgment, otherwise it may lead you astray. Stay objective. Be mindful to become body-wise.
My invitation to you today:
Close your eyes and observe what is going on in your body right now.
Whatever you notice - go a bit deeper with curiosity - what is this about?
Ask yourself: What do you want to tell me, wise body of mine?
Smile
Ask your body what it needs.
Act accordingly.
This is your time.
With gratitude to my body's wisdom
Mel
