The way we move tells a story.
A ballet dancer connects dance moves with music to portray beginning, middle, and end through an art form that is expressed by the human body.
A smart racer, whether on a bike, in the water, or on foot is mapping out his or her race from start to finish, aware of the twists and turns that come with the terrain.
Yoga begins in a pose that is called child’s pose or seed pose. It is a guided process that moves the body through the natural progression of life, helping us embrace it, and coming to a close in a resting “corpse pose”.
Our bodies are telling a story, our story, every day.
The question is how do we connect to that story? In The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, he writes,
“Body awareness puts us in touch with our inner world, the landscape of our organism. Simply noticing our annoyance, nervousness, or anxiety immediately helps us shift our perspective and opens up new options other than our automatic, habitual reactions” (210).
Naming what goes on inside of our bodies helps make the connection between physical and emotional.
Ask yourself today:
Where do you find yourself making that connection between body and emotion in your own life? Where do you find yourself not wanting to make that connection? What questions come up as you think about bringing those parts of you together?
The integration of our body, mind and spirit can help us know ourselves and live more fully, allowing us to better engage with people and the world around us.
How does your life move, and what story is it telling?
Join Beth for a special half day retreat, At The Table, on Saturday, April 22nd from 3-8pm. You’ll have the opportunity to explore your body’s unique relationship with food, learn food prep, and enjoy a beautiful meal together. Visit here for more info.
Beth is a therapist and group facilitator at Sage Hill Counseling in Nashville. She provides a place for individuals and couples to begin to live integrated lives by helping them explore their story, engage their heart, and develop a deeper passion.