Doing What You Think vs. What You Feel
Humans, especially those of us of the American variety, spend a lot of time in our heads. We become so conditioned to get shit done, get ahead, and stay relevant in this world, we forget that our brain only makes up for about 2% of our bodies. Two percent. Yet, we give it so much credence and so much authority over the other 98% of our existence (insert scratching chin with a confused look on face emoji here).
Does this sound just a little off to you? Me too. Learning how to spend more time in your body is a wonderful way to increase your relationship with yourself. You will become aware of yourself in ways you may never have considered before but the trick is to actually pay attention to what you’re being told.
You’re about to get into an elevator and as the door opens, you notice a creepy-looking man in the corner of the car, and your stomach drops. Your body tells you to run while your brain tells you to quit being silly and so judgmental. Which will you listen to?
Your friend tells you that she’s decided you’re both going to run a 5k. Your shoulders slump as soon as she announces these plans but your brain tells you that you have to because she’s going through a hard time and what kind of friend would you be if you turned her down?
The thing is, your body knows all the right answers for you. Not only that, when you tune into your body, you begin to tune into your intuition on all sorts of things. What does your body want to eat today? Does your body want to move today or are you still nursing that cold and your body is telling you not to push it?
Your body’s intuition works on far greater levels as well. The world and everyone in it asks all sorts of things from you, constantly. Have you considered tuning into your body for the answer? This isn’t a trick question but when I ask it, I tend to get some confused looks, but more than anything, it results in curiosity.
So how does one tune into the body? Some call it meditation but I call it body awareness, which seems to sit better with most folks. As you follow this method, you’ll begin to build such an intuitive awareness of your body’s responses that it will eventually become a quick decision-making process for you.
Find a quiet place, have a seat, and get comfortable.
Close your eyes and begin breathing in and out on a three-count.
Bring your attention to the top of your head and begin to do a top to bottom body scan.
Spend time on each part of your body and notice absolutely anything that happens or any physical or emotional feelings that arise. Simply put, get to know your body.
You can do this entire practice in five minutes or extend it for as long as you like. The next time the world asks something of you, or you have a decision to make, immediately check in with your body. Where does the answer to that question sit? How does it make you feel? Chances are, if you’re paying attention, you’ll have an answer pretty quickly.
The real question is, will you listen?
