A Soul Connection

Body Wisdom -- Listening to Your Body

It seems that only recently, over the last 25 years or so, that we've moved from a mechanistic view of the physical body to a more holistic view. By mechanistic, I'm referring to the way people referred to the body as a machine, an object -- an inanimate object at that! Maybe I'm relating more to my own shift in perspective, but still I've noticed more and more publications, media, etc. that seem to be concerned with paying attention to the body. Remember the saying: "No pain, no gain"? In fact, I read an article the other day where an athelete was talking about how he learned the hard way to listen to his body. He talked about injuries that his body sustained because he did not listen and that today he's much more in tune with his body.

Most of us take our own physical body for granted as long as it's working as we think it should. And, when something isn't working right, we often ignore it until it's manifested as a discomfort, pain, or disease that we can no longer ignore.

It's my personal experience that, although allopathic (Western) medicine has come a long way, most (not all) doctors still "pooh-pooh" the holistic approach that includes finding the root cause for whatever the patient is presenting. So, oftentimes it's up to us to work at our own discovery of the root cause of what's happening in our body. I do find it refreshing to meet doctors who are open to complementary processes and modalities rather than merely writing prescriptions to make the symptom go away. My own General Practitioner is one of these -- a real gem who's open to listening to other options even when they're unconventional.

Why is it that we don't think of, and appreciate, all the various functions and systems that keep the body alive and working? What would it be like to actually be taught this kind of awareness (preferably at a young age)? Why didn't we know that every cell within our body has an infinite intelligence beyond our understanding and that all we need to do is pay attention and listen?! Isn't it all a mystery that all this and more exists (and works!) without our conscious control?

The Body Dialogue Process
Within each of us there is a reservoir of information. The Body Dialogue Process taps into this reserve and creates the opportunity for conscious communication with the overall voice of the body and the many selves/parts which support the body's miraculous functioning. The body and it's many selves, like any other part touched through the Voice Dialogue process, wants to be heard and acknowledged for the significant role it serves in the overall well being of the person. What's possible for us once we are in a conscious relationship with our body is to: eat when we are hungry; sleep when we are tired; and do exercise or movement because our body wants and needs it. 1

Body Scan
Take at least five minutes each morning as you awaken to do a slow body scan where you're consciously scanning each area and part of your body to see what you feel. Note if there's heaviness, numbness, tingling, warmth, coldness, discomfort or pain, etc. Just notice whatever you notice without trying to fix it or change it. Become aware of your body with your own consciousness.

Overall Body Voice
Just as the Protector/Controller is seen as the overall voice of the Mind and its many selves, there is an Overall Body Voice. We need to check-in with this Overall Body Voice periodically to find out how it's doing, if there are any concerns, and if there is any particular part with which we need to dialogue. In fact, after doing a body scan we can ask the Overall Body Voice about anything particular that we noticed during the scan. Lastly, we can ask the Overall Body Voice if there's any particular part of the body with which we should dialogue. Always end your Body Dialogue sessions with the Integrated Human Being where you can reflect back, verbally or in writing, what you learned from the dialogue.

Exercises
There are two different exercises below that you can either do together or separately. The first one can be done in only 5 minutes (or longer, if you prefer). The second one will take longer.
(1) Practice the 5 minute body scan each morning before you get out of bed and/or each evening as you're going to bed/sleep.
(2) Practice dialoguing with the Overall Body Voice and on to any voice/part the Overall Body Voice suggests you work with.

Comment Area Below
I encourage you to use the comment area below to share your experience and insights. Feel free to use your initials if you're uncomfortable using your name on this blog.


1 Article: "Learning the Language of the Body," Judith Tamar Stone. She created the Body Dialogue Process after being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in her late twenties. Through her unwillingness to give up her body to a lifelong sentence of medications and pain, she began to apply the theories of Voice Dialogue and the Psychology of Selves through the voices of the body. Over the course of the past 18 years she has inspired and empowered others to learn the unique language of their own body.