"I consider Gay and Kathlyn to be my teachers." -John Bradshaw
The Wisdom of Listening to Your Body
The Wisdom of Listening to Your Body
On a recent radio interview the host asked, “How can body wisdom improve your relationship? What does body awareness have to do with getting along with a partner?” As I took in her words I realized that most people have not experienced the power of living consciously in their bodies. I quickly scanned (what else?) my body to access the clearest response to her question.
After a moment, I said, “Your body not only stores feelings and communications you haven’t completed but also houses the space of connection, intuition and creativity. When you give curious attention (think of how you might notice a young child learning to walk or exploring a new place for the first time) to your right-now experience you invite the flow of aliveness. I’m sure someday we will be able to measure this so everyone will KNOW it’s accurate, and you can test this for yourself today. First notice your overall sense of vitality, then give your curious attention to whatever body sensations you notice for a few minutes. Then check your vitality level again. This simple practice wakes up the consciousness potential that every cell carries, and that consciousness supports all the rest of your life. It expands your well being, your ability to connect deeply and resonate with others, your choices about every aspect of you life.”
If I ask most people to notice their body sensations, the first place they look is for what’s wrong: what hurts, what’s tense, where the discomfort lurks. When you learn to be with whatever you notice you develop a kind of spacious, non-reactive presence that carries over into the rest of your life. You start noticing opportunities for joy and appreciating. More ease develops. A wide world of creativity, love and contribution opens up from the choice to be with your body experience, starting with what you notice right now.
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