Last week I went for my first walk in the woods since winter.
Being in the woods was like reconnecting with a dear friend. We picked up right where we had left off. We didn’t miss a beat.
During the winter I chose to walk in parks and in my neighbourhood, and while I loved and appreciated my walks, being in the woods was like coming home.
As I entered the pathway, I noticed how my body started softening, and I thought to myself this is incredible.
My senses were alive.
If my mind wandered, I acknowledged the thought, and I brought it back to the moment. It was effortless.
My body and I were so happy.
My body and I have been through a lot.
When I was young, I had experiences that gave me the message it’s not safe to be in a body. So, I did whatever I could to not feel or be present in my body.
It has taken a lot of work to want to be in my body, and to honour my body. Like any relationship, the more energy and care we put into it, the more enriching it becomes.
When I first embarked on the spiritual journey, I remember reading a book that said, “the body is an illusion” and the goal was to transcend and move beyond the body.
A big part of me liked this concept, because I already didn’t want to be in a body, so if transcending beyond the body was the ticket to more peace, I was all in.
Although I didn’t realize it at the time, this concept was not helpful at all. It was keeping me stuck. I was very ungrounded, which is no surprise, because I was still avoiding being in my body.
Today, connecting to my physicality and having a healthy relationship with my body is a catalyst for a deeper connection to Self. The two go hand in hand.
I choose to explore spirituality by being present in my body, being curious, aware, sensing.
I find the more aware I am of my body, the more there is to become aware of.
Our body is sharing information with us all day long.
What if, you took time this week to be curious?
To listen and feel the cues your body is giving you during the day.
How do you feel when you…
* Wake up
* Spend time with those people
* Move your body or don't move your body
* Listen to your body and what it needs
* Don't listen to your body and what it needs
* Feel those feelings
* Push down those feelings
* Eat that food
* Feel stressed
* Feel calm
Notice:
* When you react
* When you respond
* How are your thoughts affecting your body?
There is so much to explore every day.
We are living in a very ungrounded world and unless we try, it can be easy to lose that connection with our physical bodies and our sense of self.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
As always, it’s best to keep it simple. To meet ourselves where we’re at. To show kindness and compassion to ourselves and our body, whatever form it takes.
The older I get the more precious my body and life has become. I don’t take it for granted like I did when I was younger.
I’ve come to understand there’s a vulnerability in being human, in knowing that our good health and our life are not promised to us forever and I am choosing to honour and be in my body.
Wherever you find yourself right now I send you many blessings.
Diane