“I used to think I was S-L-O-W, and there was something ‘wrong’ with me.”
It was 4.30 am. I pushed my 11-year old self to get up and be functional. I knew that if I didn’t jump into the car within 45 minutes, I wouldn’t make it to my first class on time. That’s what my mornings looked like. In a rush and anxious. For the next six years of my life.
Growing up, I was raised to follow schedules. Always on the clock. I learned that human worth was in the “doing”. One task after another. It never ends. Somewhere along the way, I started to believe that we were all made to follow the endless list of “shoulds”. Day in, day out. My relationship with time and efficiency used to be a huge area of struggle in childhood and even in my adulthood.
In the early years of my career, I was told that the norm of speed in life was “fast-paced” and if I wasn’t reaching that, I would not succeed in life.
Anxiety was my middle name. Followed by self-judgment.
Little did I know that the body always KNOWS.
The body knows… when to rest, when to produce, when to be fast, when to be slow. Our bodies are… simply… brilliant. If you’re a mother, you know first hand how incredible a woman’s body is. A woman’s body can produce a human being and turn her blood into food. Epic! When did we stop listening to our bodies? When did we stop letting her tell us what’s going on?
Today, I’m on the path of healing my relationship with my body.
I listen to her more. I follow what she needs.
I TRUST her more.
It took a lot to get here. I had to learn how to reconnect with my body. I had to quiet my mind and learn how to listen to my body. Turns out, she’s right, all the time!
What Happens When You Are Not In Tune With Your Body?
When you don’t listen to your body, you’ll notice:
- You can get sick quicker
- You are not as aware of your surroundings and the present
- You tend to get overwhelmed and stressed
- You may take important life choices that aren’t true and right for you
- You allow things that shouldn’t really be happening to happen
- You can feel out of sorts with ourselves
- You can have unhealthy expectations of others that leads to resentment and disconnection.
- You’ll start to get into the habit of lying to yourself.
- You lose track of your intuition
The bottom line is, if you don’t listen to your body, the consequences aren’t just physical. It could extend emotionally and spiritually. It can also affect the relationship you have with your loved ones. This is why when you stop being in tune with your body, things can actually fall apart.
Five Ways To Reconnect With Your Body
So many people have the false idea that in order for us to have a better relationship with our bodies, we need to go to the extremes, e.g. signing up for an intense workout program or participating in a strict diet. These programs are often labeled as self-care.
While most of them were initiated from a good intention, the result of these attempts can actually be counterproductive. The moment when you’re forcing yourself to follow any rigid structures, that don’t involve the practice of attuning and listening to your body, there’s a possibility of a further disconnection. It gives a stronger message to your brain to neglect and distrust every signal that your body tries to give.
I’m not at all opposed to the idea of following a well-designed program. But I want to now bring you to some of the simplest, yet essential, practices of how to start reconnecting with your one and precious body.
- Observe the sensations in your body
With how busy we can all get, we sometimes forget to really listen to the body. I invite you to sit down and REALLY listen. Gently observe everything, the subtle sensations, that’s going through your body at any given moment in a day. Our body will always give us signs, messages, and gut feelings that will help us truly be in line with what our body really wants.
- Do intentional slow movement practices
Activities like yoga, tai chi, and just stretching can help you feel every part of your body. While practicing this, listen to your body. The body always knows how she wants to move. Follow the rhythm of your body. Sometimes, your body will choose to focus on stretching the back more if you have back pain.
The body really does know what to do.
- Free flow dancing or movement
Just let loose! Play your favorite song and just dance. Let your body let go of all that pent-up energy.
Have some fun. Work and responsibilities will always be there. There will always be something to do for the next twenty, thirty years. Always take some time out of the day or the week to just have some plain old fun.
- Practice intentional touch
Your body is interconnected. All your nerve cells all go back to one system. Everyone also craves touch. And the epitome of self-love is also to be able to touch yourself and transfer that love to your physical body. Practice intentional touching, where you imagine your hands are simply the extension of your heart.
Things like giving yourself a foot massage, applying lotion to your body, or even simple comfort touches before going to bed, or when you wake up in the morning. You’re allowing your nervous system to self-regulate. Why not start your day with a little love and compassion from yourself?
If you are not able to do this for yourself, how can you truly allow someone else to do that for you?
- Speak to your body
We all have conversations in our heads. But most times, it’s not intentional questions or conversations that are devoid of things like “what do I need to do today?”, “what brief do I need to finish for my colleague?” or even “what do the kids need to eat today?”.
When was the last time you sat down and asked your body questions like:
- How do you really feel?
- What are you trying to tell me right now?
- What is one thing you need right now that feels nourishing or loving?
When I started doing this, I noticed a huge shift in myself. I became much happier and I was a lot more confident in my own skin. Once you truly listen to your body, nothing can shake you because you know who you are. You know what you stand for and this is a woman that cannot be messed with.
This has also been a pivotal practice for a lot of my clients. It’s beyond magical what reconnecting with your body can do to the level of peace and joy in embracing an authentic living.
I would love to hear from you about your own relationship with your body? What do you think about these practices?
If you notice a need to get support, I am available for a free consultation so that we can identify together the areas you need to be more aware of, so that you get closer to your clarity and alignment.
Click this link to find a good time slot. I cannot wait to speak with you!
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