“Pain has a definite way of getting our attention. It is difficult to deny deep pain. All our attention goes to that place. Yet in deep sleep it seems to go away or lessen.” -Nischala Joy Devi, The Healing Path of Yoga
“Mindful awareness has this great capacity to free us from the self-imposed limitations of our fears and thoughts.” – Tara Bennett-Goleman, Emotional Alchemy
Learning to listen and respect your body is a process that requires patience and compassion. I taught yoga to a marathoner recently and one of the things I said was, the physical practise of asana is not mind over matter, like pushing yourself to excruciating lengths to cross a finish line. Yoga is mind in matter, the breath and focus on synchronicity between breath and movement is a holistic involvement. Our honesty and authentic self is revealed through this practise and we listen inwardly. If our hamstrings say, “I am too tight, this is my edge”, we respect them, and back away a bit. We learn to distinguish pain from discomfort, and it is not always straightforward. Pain can be sharp or dull, an ache, a “NO” and it can be quite uncomfortable. It can be a symptom of a health concern you should get checked medically, and it can be psychological and emotional, stored in the body and masquerading in your neck, lumbar spine, hips… Discomfort can feel like tightness with possibility. With a bit of stretching, focused breathing, an intention to move into comfort, some discomfort can shift. It is really personal as well. You may see glimpses until you get the full picture, as it is a process.
People initially confuse listening to the body with listening to the mind with all its frenetic “I shoulds”…With time, you become inwardly sensitive, and a connoisseur of sensations. How deep you go is relative to what you feel, and to what you know.
How to hear the messages from your inner guidance system can be a practise on its own, with rewards that spill over into daily life, as instincts are key to positive, nurturing choices, to our health and to our safety.
Here are some points to consider being attentive to:
1. Make notes of anything in your life that is difficult, painful, joyful, and notice how your breathing, heart rate and other bodily sensations respond to each of these.
2. Pay attention to what your body feels like. For example, do you feel fluid, numb, like crying, stuck?
These feelings are your body’s wisdom; clues in your inner guidance system.
3. When you experience a bodily sensation such as “gut reaction”, back pain, a headache, a stomach ache, pay attention to it. Are emotions such as anger or fear connected with any areas of your body? When a sensation arises, stop, lie down, breathe and wait with the emotion or sensation – what insights come up through this process?
4. Notice how you routinely talk to yourself. Do you chastise or appreciate when you look in the mirror? Are you hyper critical or do you give your body positive messages, and gratitude. Your body digests meals, breathes in and out, and your heart beats 24/7…Cultivate a positive chain between your inner mental dialogue and the rest of you.
5. Understand that you risk your health when you consistently undermine your body. Burning the candle at both ends, worrying incessantly, food choices, activity choices, friendship choices…it all affects our system as a whole.
You can start the unconditional love and acceptance for yourself by:
1. Standing in front of the mirror, affirm: “I accept myself unconditionally right now. I love my body and I love myself just as I am”. Try this 2 times a day for 21 days.
2. Learn how to breathe to create inner calm. A simple practise is to inhale to a slow count of 3 or 4, exhale to a slow count of 6 or 8 (adjust as needed). Try this minimum 5 minutes per day for 21 days.
3. Remember that the “attitude of gratitude” is what brings an inner and outer smile. About 90% of our bodily functions take place without you the personality telling it how to do the job. Acknowledge that your body today grew from a glint in your parents eyes, and is quite a miracle.
You are beautiful inside and out, let me know how you progress!
Om shanty shanty shanty
Rana
Rana Waxman is a registered yoga therapist ERYT-500, with 20 years of teaching experience. Rana is a freelance writer and social media expert in addition to leading yoga workshops internationally and teaching alignment focused private and group Yoga Lessons in Hoboken and Jersey City NJ.
