At Home in My Body
The experiences of life in our body. The trauma we store in our body. The cultural conditioning and pressure to look a certain way and be a certain size. Whew! It’s a mine field.
Why is everyone talking about somatics these days? The word somatic means relating to our body (as different from thought focused). There are many ways to approach our relationship with our body. Guided somatic mindfulness inquiries, like the one below, are a way to more fully inhabit our body.
It says something important about trauma and our culture that so many of us need an entry point into feeling at home in our body. What makes it so hard to live in our body?
Stored trauma generates a swirl of energy and sensation that makes us feel unsafe. We hold our breath. Clench our teeth. Tighten up through our neck and upper back. We can release this.
A foundational step of feeling at home in our body is learning to relax our physical body, and come out of fight/ flight/ freeze enough to be comfortable with deep diaphragmatic breathing.
Many people have a personal history of feeling shame about our bodies not measuring up to an unattainable standard. This cultural pressure works for the lucrative diet, clothing and cosmetics industries, but it is cruel. Because conditioning is so pervasive and works in our unconscious mind, it takes practice and persistence to overcome toxic beliefs about our bodies.
Some people have bodies that “don’t work right” due to illness, injury, or aging. We all fear being powerless and vulnerable.
Disconnection from our body is a common trauma response. Here are some ways to connect:
Relaxation and breathing practices without any pressure to stay still or have perfect focus
Use touch - hold your own hands, place your hands on your heart, hug yourself or someone else, get a massage, notice your feet on the ground
Become familiar with the energy and sensations in your body
Notice when you’re holding your breath, and work towards smooth, continuous diaphragmatic breathing 24/7
When you want to escape into what is not healthy for your body, pause and check in to see if there is something else you could do instead of zoning out on screens or …
We form beliefs based on our experiences - are they are valid or reasonable? Kind?
Do activities you enjoy in a way that is enjoyable for your body, like yoga, swimming or dancing, while practicing mindfulness to notice the sensations and breath
Practice ongoing mindfulness of your body - are you sitting comfortably? breathing? warm or cool enough?
Inhabiting our bodies takes time and practice. An easy way is to join us at 8AM Eastern any day of the week for a guided relaxation practice. You might also join our Sunday Community class this week for a gentle inquiry into feeling at home in your body.
We may have been at war with our body our whole life. It’s not too late to bring empathy and connection to one of the most important relationships we will ever have - that with our own body.