We are all so busy, some of us have lost the ability to listen to our bodies. I mean truly listen, communicate with, check in. Not thinking we are – we need to get out of our heads and listen to what our bodies are telling us. Sound weird? Maybe, but just humour me – it could be the key to helping us live better, healthier, longer lives.
Step 1
STOP Dedicate at least 10 minutes a day to stop. I mean truly stop – no phone, no TV, no radio, no chatting, no stimulus. The first step to listening is by stopping.
Step 2
Ground yourself. We can’t listen to our bodies if we are not grounded. What does it mean to be grounded? I interpret it as being connected to the earth, being present in myself with my energy firmly planted in my body. Some of us achieve this by visualising our feet planted on the ground and imagining roots going into the earth, others visualise light coming in – whatever works for you. Generally speaking, when we are grounded, we are calm, we are centred. And similarly, when we are centred, or calm, we can be grounded. This step will be fundamental and everyday practice to those who meditate. For others, this may take some time. Be patient, be kind.
Step 3
Connect and blend
We need to connect with the bit we want to know about, the bit that hurts maybe, or perhaps the part of us that does not feel quite right.
If this is completely new to you, start simple – put your hand over your heart – just to the left side of your chest. Can you feel your heart rate? Now close your eyes and try to visualise your heart – what colour is it? How big is it? How does it feel?
Now try focusing and blending with something else. Do you have backache, stomach ache, migraine? Are you emotionally drained or under pressure at the moment? Where in your body do you feel it?
You can choose to either put your hand on that area, or just ‘tune’ in and try the same thing. An incredibly powerful question you can ask whichever area you are blending with, either verbally or non verbally, is what does it need. You may be surprised by the response you get! The first thing that pops up is the right answer – if you think about it, that’s your conscious mind kicking in – and we need that bit to switch off a bit!
Step 4
Have fun!
The art of tuning in can be good fun, you are finding out bits of information that’s always been there but have never accessed. It’s like discovering a brand new section of a library you’ve been visiting since you were a child! Explore, see what you need, and be open minded. If you don’t think you could tune into your back pain that you’ve had for 20 years, you won’t. If you think you already know all the answers about your body, and what it needs, you may be disappointed. Try and come to this with an open heart and mind.
Discovering what our bodies need can be liberating, but it can sometimes bring up some uncomfortable or painful issues, and people I work with are often surprised by what comes up. They think their shoulder pain is from doing too many weights in the gym and they should rest – their shoulder tells them they need to be kinder to themselves and not to be so critical! But if your uterus wants to be called Phyllis or your heart has an unlit area within it because it’s where fear lives, go with it! The possibilities and potential is limitless, we are the only ones that can hold ourselves back.
Step 5
Trust
This is a big one. Trust that whatever comes up is relevant, and real, and true. Trust that our bodies have all the answers, and trust that our bodies know what we need. Our bodies come to us in whispers – if we don’t listen to the whispers, it screams. How many of us only listen when it screams full volume?! Think how much nicer it would be for us, and our bodies, to listen to the mild whisper and act on that?
Tuning in, blending, visual imagery and dialoguing are the backbones and used daily with craniosacral therapy. If you’d like to know more, or would like to make an appointment, find us at www.tayloredfitphysio.co.uk
Enjoy tuning in! It may unlock a missing piece of your jigsaw. Thank you for reading.
Vicky Smith