Your body has something to tell you.

I am not the first to suggest that our bodies manifest the expression of our emotional and mental states. Many of our various chronic issues, aches, pains, ailments, and postures can be connected to the degree of disparity between our life choices and our sense of fulfillment with them.

Sometimes we know that we're not exactly thrilled with some area of our life.. our work, our relationships, our body image ... but the very idea of admitting that implies that we might have to change those things, which can be very scary. So, we adopt a state of denial and mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that it's really not that bad.

The mind is exceedingly capable of deception. Our bodies however, are not. They will let us know, perhaps gently at first, and then increasingly louder, that all is not well.. that your 'inner' is not congruent with your 'outer'.

Some of us are pretty adept at reading these signs. We've developed an open line of communication and trust with our physical bodies, where the messages about the 'rightness' of choices are easily received. For many more of us, we are not yet proficient in that language, and we need practice to develop it.

Right now, I invite you take a few minutes to feel your life.

Have a piece of paper and pen handy to write down some notes.  For each area listed below, I want you to allow whatever bodily sensations or thoughts to arise in your awareness. I say thoughts, because maybe the sensations are not quite clear to you, but whatever the first thoughts or images are to come up, jot those down. It's important not to overthink this, or try too hard to feel something. Also, try not to label the sensations of thoughts as good or bad. Just try to be as descriptive and accurate about what you do feel. (ie: tickle in the stomach; tightness in the chest; warm behind the ears, etc)

If nothing arises, that's fine, or if the images, thoughts or feelings don't make sense to you at first, that's okay. Write them down anyway. Your inner being has a way of answering questions even if you're not consciously aware of it. Kind of like how you forget someone's name, but once you stop thinking about it, it pops up later.

Find a quiet place to sit comfortably. Take a few gentle cleansing breaths.

Now imagine your work. When you visualize getting up in the morning to get ready, what do you notice? Where in your body do you feel something? Does your energy level feel like it goes up or goes down? Are there any particular people or situations that trigger a noticeable reaction from your body during your work day? What do you feel in your body when you imagine those situations?

If you are in a relationship, think about your partner. Imagine seeing him or her after a day spent away from each other. What do you feel when you imagine seeing them again? Think about an activity that you enjoy doing together. How does that feel? Think about an area of conflict. Where do you feel that?

Bring your attention to your own body. Imagine looking at yourself in a mirror, or being looked at by someone else. Do you feel yourself wanting to either diminish or overemphasize a part of your body? Does your posture change when you imagine being looked at? Which part of your body does your mental attention immediately go to?

Think of a random activity that you don't enjoy doing, but 'have' to. What do you notice. (For example, I do not like grocery shopping. Just thinking about it brings on a feeling of fatigue, especially in my lower back.)

Now think of an activity that you really enjoy doing. What do you notice... maybe about your shoulders, your breathing, your facial muscles. Was there a noticeable difference between that image and the one before it?

If you are dealing with any chronic issues, sit with them and 'ask'what they are trying to tell you.

If there are any other areas of your life you'd like to feel out, do so now.
Otherwise, take a moment to express gratitude to your physical body for communicating with you (even if you didn't feel much). You can also express an intention that more information will be revealed to you from this point on. Thoughts or feelings may pop up later, or your attention will be more immediately drawn to your physical sensations in the future.

It's not necessary that you understand these messages yet, or that you even received them clearly.

It's most important that you asked the question.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Comment below or contact me!

Related posts:

Under Pressure - How Do You Feel It?

Under Pressure - Turtle Syndrome

The New Rules of Posture