What I Gained from My Body-Mind Connection
The body is an amazing tool in communication with you. This is something I didn’t understand until years ago when I was stressed, tired, and constantly sick. First, I had to learn what my own body was telling me. Here are some of the ways I did this:
Discovering base feelings. I used to describe how I was feeling in these types of words: stressed, overwhelmed, anxious. This was before I learned the eight basic feelings: hurt, lonely, sad, anger, fear, shame, guilt, glad. When asked to use only these words to describe how I felt, I couldn’t do it. I had blocked myself from feeling most things for so long I couldn’t identify it in these terms.
Now I pay more attention to either signs in my body that something is wrong or a general feeling of unease. Usually this presents itself in one way or another – like a stomachache or feeling an unknown anxiety. First, I check in with my body. Where do I feel it? Then I run it through my feeling list. What is it? Fear? Sadness? Once I do this, I can identify why it is there – “oh, I still feel badly about that conversation with someone in which I got impatient.”
Thinking in terms of energy. Our bodies are an energy source. Everything around us contains energy. This energy can get blocked in our bodies and cause symptoms if it is not identified and released in some way. For a while, I had a ticking next to my eye. It would come and go seemingly randomly and was driving me nuts! Finally, I realized I was having fleeting thoughts about the same subject every time it happened. Once I realized this and decided what to do about it – bam! It was gone. Energy gets blocked in the body and shows itself in many ways. Sometimes recognition is enough.
Allowing for sadness. It is amazing to me now the number of times that grief shows itself in my body. Now I recognize this for both big and small things. Life works in constant cycles, beginnings and endings. I used to hide my grief because it scared me. I used to think if I grieved I would “lose it”, and things would be worse. The irony is that grieving does the opposite. It unblocks energy in the body and helps us to heal. It is unpredictable and can hit us at odd moments. Recognition and allowing for it keeps me healthier.
This is mine, that is theirs. I am a highly empathic person. This is helpful in many ways, but sometimes I recognize that I can easily take on other’s feelings. It helps me to ask myself – is this really mine? If not, I know I can mentally let it go.
Some clients come to me because of dissatisfaction happening in their work and life. Using cues from the body help to decode what might be not serving them now. This helps them to feel more fulfilled and aligned with what they are meant to do.
(It is important to keep in mind that if a medical issue arises, you should visit or consult with your doctor. This is in no way a replacement for medical treatment.)
If you have additional interest in this topic, I suggest reading The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.A, a book on my favorite reading list.
Do you have a problem or topic you would like to learn more about? Please let me know and I would be happy to answer it anonymously in a future blog.