Listening to the body opens up the doorway to your intuition and your deep personal truths. In order to listen to the body you have to be connected to the body…so…how do we do this?
Watch the video above for 4 quick ways to connect to the body.
do a brief body scan
mindfully bring your awareness to your five senses one at a time
place both feet flat on the floor and tune in to the sensations you feel
take deep and long belly breaths
All of the above is described in more detail in the video!
Here are some other things to be aware of when establishing a connection with your body and learning to listen to its messages!
1. acknowledge the mind doesn’t know everything! learn to surrender the thinking mind to the wisdom of the body. Do this by practicing being more attuned to your 5 senses, doing regular body scans, and doing anything that gives you the space+time to be present with your body.
2. learn the language of your body. You already know the language of your mind- it speaks to you in words and images. What is the language of the body? S E N S A T I O N. It's possible colors, images, and words will also arise.
3. Resist judgement. When listening to the body It’s easy to judge what comes up and to question if what arose was from your body or your mind or if you should take any of it seriously. Trust what your body is telling you.
4. Figure out where you’re currently at in your journey of relating to your body. When you close your eyes and connect to your body does it feel safe? easy? loving? Does it feel strange? foreign? uncomfortable? Try not to judge what comes up. Wherever you are is where you are. That’s where you begin. Maybe the only part of your body it feels good to connect with is your right index finger, or your feet, or perhaps just the space around your body.
4. Breathe! Taking time for conscious breathing can help move blocked energy in the body and reawaken sensation. Taking a few breaths can also help re-establish a connection to your body when you’ve been feeling disconnected.
5. Simply ask your body what it needs. You might not be sure at first if you're getting an answer but practice asking at least once a day--eventually you’ll find you get answers right away. A stretch! a walk! a nap! human connection! Listen. the body knows.
6.Sometimes no profound message emerges other than gratitude from your body for seeing it + being with it. In a time where we’re so often in our heads + out of our bodies great healing can emerge by consciously attending to the body.