Sometimes I live so much in my head that I don’t really inhabit my body. Yes, it gets me from place to place, but often I rush from thing to thing and I don’t pause long enough to notice my body. And then I wonder all of a sudden why I am so hungry, or tired, or my shoulders ache. I don’t pause long enough to notice, really notice what my body is telling me.
To notice my body, I have to stop. Not pause briefly in the kitchen whilst in the middle of doing five things simultaneously. But actually stop. Sit down even. Allow my legs to rest and my shoulders to relax. Take the time to notice what my body is saying.
Take the time to notice the little aches and pains, the heaviness of my eyelids, the growling of my stomach.
I need to stay there for a period of time and heed my body’s messages. I need to listen when it says ‘there is too much noise here, maybe turn the music off’. Or ‘just lay down for a while and stretch out those back muscles’.
And when I actually take the time to listen to my body this is what I hear:
be present
stop
listen to the silence
close your eyes
rest them
from the never-ending scroll of screens
from the glare of light
feel the exhaustion wash over you
don’t wish it away
acknowledge it
feel the connectedness of your bones
your muscles
notice their aches
and twinges
allow them to guide you
as you gently relax each limb
listen to your breath
notice how short and shallow it is
breathe
breathe deep
not just once
again
breathe deeper
feel your lungs swell with each intake
notice how beautiful it is to breathe
inhale
exhale
peace
be with you
Join me for the quiet journey,
Jodie
This post is part of a journey in quiet this advent, the intro post is here . The journey continues with quieting the mind, quieting the heart and quieting the spirit.