Every Body Tells a Story
Body Talk
Over the last few years I’ve realised how fascinating the body is, in its ability to speak to us through our aches and pains.
Do you believe your body is trying to tell you something?
For one minute stop whatever it is you’re doing.
Focus on your body and see how you’re feeling. Stiff or relaxed? Hot or cold? Heavy or light? Hands - rigid and tense? Breathing - shallow or deep? How are you feeling about your life right now? Is your body reflecting the worries you store in your mind?
Body psychotherapists believe that we do this - more often than we might think (or hope). Our body reflects our current emotional state as well as our history. Every shock, trauma or difficult emotion is held within, but so are the good and positive emotions and experiences. Because there is always a balance it’s good to know when to listen to our bodies - from headaches, to insomnia and pain.
The belief that what we are going through in our life can show up on or in our bodies dates back to the 1920s, when Wilhelm Reich a student of Sigmund Freud’s noticed how the repression of feelings corresponded to changes in the body. This is why it is so important to talk to ourselves in a positive way, because self-talk is something we can control, while most situations that come are way are out of our control.
How does our body speak to us?
Our body is communicating with us once we notice: shallow breathing, slumped shoulders, muscular tension or tense cramped postures, headaches, sneezing and hiccups, allergies, and the like. Our body also speaks to us with what we have come to call the “gut feeling”, which usually comes to life when we are making decisions and perhaps are not quite sure.
Being and becoming aware of what our bodies are telling us is a skill, and a useful one at that. For one we come to know ourselves deeply, and for another it goes to show that we really and truly have the answers within. Our bodies are working to get us out of any uncomfortable or harmful situations, so the louder it is trying to gain your attention the more you have to sit still, listen and then act. There is no use just listening and then not acting, some things will only persist. It’s the same as popping a pill instead of going to the root cause. From the small to the big things - listen.
Let us try not to push our bodies and minds to the limit. Let us not try to maintain an un-maintainable lifestyle by pushing on by numbing our feelings. Even cravings come in here, if you are over-eating or eating for comfort, if you feel the need to keep busy all the time or are drinking too much. . .these are all messages that perhaps you would benefit to slow down (to do the opposite) and face some fears, perhaps your life needs re-alignment, perhaps it is something else, whatever it might be, if you’re over-doing anything, pause.
It is crucial that we are able to re-connect to our minds - mind-body-spirit connection
Anything that happens physically is also happening emotionally - our emotions impact our bodies, but our bodies also impact our emotions (it goes both ways).
Mind-Body Aware
Breathe - morning routine, use whenever the need arises
Consume - positivity as much as possible, and healthy fresh foods
Core - focus on a strong core, through breathwork and exercise, a strong core feeds confidence and strength
Grounding - drop your awareness to your legs, pelvis, and feet and imagine your feet anchored to the floor, take deep abdominal breaths and slow your breathing down, concentrate on how you feel and still your mind
Meditate
Massage - enjoy this often to get to the places our words don’t reach, self-massage with oils counts too!
Movement - to transform any negativity into positive patterns; exercise, walking, gardening, dancing, playing with your pets. . .anything that generates physical awareness
Positive self-talk
Tune-in - spend some time everyday reverting your awareness to your body and inwards
Value how you feel
Visualise - positivity
Namaste