Wake up by living in your BODY, not your HEAD!  Most of us are on autopilot, to some degree, physically.  That means that our everyday movements, including our workouts if we do them, are done unconsciously and with as little attention as possible to the sensations going on in our bodies.  Our bodies are moving and all of our attention is focused on our thoughts.  I know – I used to do the elliptical while reading a magazine to distract myself. In fact, in many sports, athletes actually train their mind to OVERRIDE their body in order to perform. 

So, what’s the issue?  The issue is injury, disease, and living life unconsciously spiritually as well as physically.  A life lived in your head is missing a sense of aliveness that often needs to be compensated for by food, alcohol, and other addictions. So many people are divorced from their bodies and their bodies’ needs that we have an obesity epidemic in this country. And, in my opinion, an even bigger epidemic of loss of meaning in life. 

The way to happiness, joy, and peace is through the body, not by circumventing it.  It can feel scary to begin to connect with your body after years of living dis-connected, but here are a couple of practices that can gently lead the way. 

1. Mindful practices like Nia Technique, some types of yoga, and the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, work slowly to re-connect body to mind, emotions and spirit, healing all in the process. Great emphasis is given to sensations in the body as a guide, following pleasure vs. pain, and discovering ease in your body’s way.
2. Stopping frequently to take 3 slow, conscious breaths (focusing on the sensation of inhaling and exhaling) also brings awareness back into the body.  This practice alone can transform your life.

My own journey to waking up through my body began with Nia.  I started it as a workout, and noticed that I felt different after a Nia class than with other fitness activities.  More centered, kinder, more relaxed, and more peaceful.  Since I liked the way that felt, I started to do more Nia.  When I finally became certified 4 years later I started practicing Nia at least 3 times a week, and that’s when the breakthroughs started to happen for me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  I was PLUGGED INTO my body!

I started to notice everyday movements that caused me discomfort and injury, like repeatedly reaching over the seat in my car to drop/grab my heavy purse. I started to replace those movements with safer, more conscious ways of moving.  I began to notice that my body had feedback and desires in what fuel it wanted, and I began listening.  I naturally moved toward a more vegetable-based diet, and I lost weight. I noticed that I felt more centered, and less reactive to others.  I began to let things just bounce off me, rather than holding on to or being anxious about them.  And when I did feel strong emotions, I could just be present with them, allowing them to wash over me in a wave and then gently leave.

It has been a revolutionary road to let my body’s voice guide me.  I have come to believe that there is intelligence vastly deeper than that of the mind, and that intelligence is activated through living consciously in the body.

Do you have any body-awareness practices that you do?  Please share them!