How intelligent are our bodies? Part 1

ByMonica
A full, embodied life in relationship with our bodies can upgrade a good life to a wonderful life full of magic and wonder.

If you have been practicing the body scanning practice that I shared last week, you may have noticed judgements coming up. If you haven’t been practicing the body scanning practice, you may also notice judgements about me or yourself come up just now.

You may have felt tension, fear, pain, numbness or tingling in various parts of your body.  You may have felt warmth or cold. Some of those sensations may have been difficult to notice and sit with.  You may have wanted to run away or throw up, or curl into a fetal position.  Or you may have found yourself falling asleep or daydreaming. All of these data points help you to see where your edge is in your relationship to your body. 

Imagine that when you were born, they put sunglasses on your eyes and you never saw the world without the sunglasses. Until one day, they slipped and you were exposed to the full brightness of the day. Now, the glasses don’t have to have fallen off entirely for you to receive a shock that may have even registered as pain and strain in your eyes. But of course, we know that once our eyes adjust to the light, our eyes will be able to relax and be completely comfortable in the light of day.  It just takes time.

Learning to relate to your body, after decades of being partially or totally disconnected, can feel like the sunglasses slipping.  It will likely register as unfamiliar and potentially unsafe.  And your body is so intelligent, that it sends you signals either in physical sensations or emotions, such as fear, dread or some other tense emotion.

This is because our bodies remember our first experiences of fear and lack of safety and they “automatically” go into the life saving response that “worked” the first time you survived through the traumatic event.  Your mind may be able to distinguish that the new “threat” may be stressful, but is not really a threat.  But our bodies do not.  And by relating to our body and slowly feeling back into the body’s full capacity for sensation your body can learn to react in a calmer way with the same stimulus.  

Each time we practice the body scan and we allow our attention to sit with a sensation instead of identifying with it, our body starts to collect evidence that the perceived threat is something safe.  With repeated evidence, our body starts to learn a new pattern of interaction with us and the sensations of fear and pain start to soften. Our minds simultaneously begin to learn to partner with our bodies and a new relationship develops.  

Here is a practice you can use to find safety in your body. This can be used anytime during the body scanning practice to help you regain a sense of safety in your body. 

Orienting Practice:                                                                                                                                              Any time you are feeling overwhelmed from the sensation or emotions coming up, you can simply feel into your body.                  

Notice the parts of your body that are touching the floor and the chair or bed that is supporting you. Feel the firmness against your body, supporting you. 

Lift your gaze and, rotating your head in a comfortable way, take in the whole room around you. See the colors and textures of the room and let your eyes rest for a moment on an object that makes you feel good and safe. 

Feel free to delight in the object and allow a smile to come to your face.

With love,

mónica

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