Happy first day of the last month of 2017 everyone! We’ll go on a bit of a personal journey with this post, and if you’re feeling up for the adventure, I encourage you to give yourself a few minutes of undisturbed time to settle in and get the most out of it. That being said, let’s jump into it…
Imagine if you will, that you have a friend who has been through everything you’ve been through. Since day one, they’ve felt the same joys, sorrows, and everything else you’ve ever experienced. And those things that are sometimes too much to feel, they feel more strongly. Even the things you forget, they remember and hold onto more deeply. Not only do they remember every experience they’ve ever had, but they’re entirely incapable of hiding how they feel because they only speak the truth, which can be super annoying at times.
Sometimes you get along with this friend and sometimes you don’t, and it’s mostly when you two stop talking to each other that things begin to go south. Sometimes it feels like your friend is just sitting there being excruciatingly uncomfortable, and it takes all of your willpower to carry on with your day despite their palpable brooding.
Through all of this frustration, you take a deep breath. You begin to remember everything you two have been through, even those things you’d forgotten. You bring your awareness to the toughest memory that stands out in your mind. You let yourself feel how much that hurt. When that was happening you weren’t very good at showing up for work either, hell, just existing was hard enough then. If there was something someone could have said to you to help you through that time, what would they have said? What would you say to someone going through what you went through? Ask yourself this question now and wait for your mind to give you the answer. When you have the answer, write it down.
Read on only once you’ve done this exercise.
Now back to your friend. You ask them how is it that they’ve been through everything you’ve been through? Are they you? No. Yet they know everything about you. How? Because they’ve lived with you more intimately than anyone else in your life. The things you’ve forgotten or denied about yourself, they remember and hold onto. This is why it hurts so much when you don’t talk to them. So let’s talk to them. First, sit comfortably and bring your awareness inward. Take some deep breaths, expanding your abdomen as you inhale and sighing it out on your exhale. Feel your feet touching the floor. Feel yourself sitting. You’re going to tell your friend what you wrote down, and you’re going to begin by saying, “my dear body…” and then read your message.
Rest here and feel what your body feels. What does it feel like to talk to your body? What does it feel like to show your body compassion? You are made of consciousness, and you live within a conscious body. Otherwise, you’d have to remember to breathe, digest, pump blood, grow skin, and do an endless number of processes happening every single moment. You are not your body, but like it or not, you will live together for the rest of your life. How do you want that relationship to look? Next time you think a thought about your body, make a note of it. Does that thought feel contractive or expansive? If the thought was food, would it be poison or nourishment?
So many of us, especially in the western world, are very good at living in our thoughts but not so good at living in our bodies. What is it like to feel your blood pumping? Does it feel alive? How does it feel to touch the earth with each foot when you walk? We’re not looking for the thought or idea of it, but how the actual physical sensations feel. Your body speaks through sensations and if it’s not a language you’re used to speaking, the good news is that anyone can learn it with practice.
Part of creating a healthy dialogue is feeling like our body is a nice to place live.
Your body has to process everything you consume from food and drink to thoughts and media. Is what you’re consuming poison or nourishment? Remember your body speaks through physical sensations. It could talk to you through a feeling of heaviness and agitation, or it could be a feeling of lightness and calm.
Your body needs both movement and rest to process and regenerate. Does it feel anxious or congested? It may need more movement. Does it feel depleted or sick? It may need more rest.
Your body holds onto things that at some point in your life, you chose to not feel because it was too intense at the time. Your body may have been holding to these things for so long that you no longer know how to access them, and if you did, you may not yet you have the tools to shift them on your own. When this happens, it can help to work with someone trained in helping you navigate and release these blocked energies. If there is a healing modality calling to you, I encourage you to look into it. If you’d like more information on the work I do with Medical Qigong, you can read here or book a phone consult with me to learn more.
Do what helps your body become a place worth living in. Because it’s not only your home, it’s the best friend you’ll ever have.
Thank you for taking the time to read this story. If you know of anyone who you think could benefit from reading this, please share it!
