Not meditating for an hour a day? You’re still eating meat, that has to be it, right?
I’ve heard so many reasons from my clients on why they can’t connect to their body and understand what their body actually wants.
Is this you, too?
There are several things that can influence your connection, so I wanted to share some of the things I’ve found that have helped me with mine. Here are seven reasons for you to consider about your connection to your body.
- Environment: Didn’t see this one coming, did you? Well, your environment impacts all aspects of your life, including your health and even the inner workings of your body. If there is clutter, dysfunction, or stress in your external environment there is a chance your internal can be impacted as well. I’ve found that when my space is cluttered or when things aren’t put away, I have a hard time focusing or being creative. I also like to have things that inspire and uplift me close by to help with that balance. When my external environment is in order, I feel more connected to the environment, but to myself as well.
- Diet: This one is a fairly easy connection. When you put foods in your body that cause inflammation or distress, your body may feel sluggish or out of sorts. But ultimately, you end up focusing on how you’re not feeling well instead of asking what your body wants. I did that until I started learning about the impact of food on our bodies. Eating to nourish and thrive is very different from eating to survive. I noticed that once I paid more attention to my food, and really starting to care about what I ate, not only did I feel better, but my health improved as well.
- Substances: This can be considered as part of diet, or separate. It depends on how you think of it. But substances, such as alcohol or drugs, can inhibit your ability to connect to your body. When you think about it, kind of obvious, right? Maybe not. When we think of substances, they can also be perceived to enhance our abilities and connection to ourselves and others. But, if something is enhanced, what if another thing is diminished? There is less chance of balance with all things firing if a substance is involved, and there is also risk of things we don’t want interfering as well. When I stopped drinking alcohol, I noticed the connection to my body improve.
- Expectations: If you have an expectation about how connecting to your body should look or feel, you may miss what your body needs. We’ve been sold the story of connection as being in complete bliss and calm all day everyday. But that isn’t it at all. In my opinion, connection is finding the calm in the chaos, but not completely avoiding the chaos. It’s finding a way to connect regardless of the situation, without a belief or expectation of how that is supposed to be. If we deny what feels natural to us because of an expectation, we deny the flow and connection that’s waiting for us.
- Movement: Any kind of movement improves our connection to the body. Paying attention to your breath, the muscle movements, possible sweat, and your mood all require connection. Determining whether to continue or stop...that’s connection. My preferred movement is dance and I always feel connected when I do it because I have increased awareness of where my body is and how it feels. Going for a walk iis also a favorite because I get fresh air, but also get my blood pumping too.
- Play: Do you take yourself too seriously? I know, we’re busy ‘adulting’ which requires us to manage responsibilities and obligations, we’re working and holding everything together. But what’s the toll? I’ve found that when I take time to draw or color or even create something with my hands, not only do I feel creative, I feel less stress, more focused, and more connected. Finding some time for a play break may be your key to connection.
- Energetics: Since it’s me, you know I have to mention potential energetics that may influence your ability to connect to your body. Things like akashics, cords, contracts, and walk-ins can all factor into your connection. They can enhance or prevent your connection to the degree you’d like it to be. I’ve definitely had some of this going on, where I wasn’t consciously aware of the energetic factors preventing connection to my own body. But, once I was aware, and picked up key tools, it made a world of a difference. This is something you can uncover in a session if you feel it’s relevant for you.
Does it make a little more sense why you may have had trouble connecting with your body? I know, it can be frustrating if you haven’t figured it out yet, but it will come. In my experience, I’ve found that all of these things have factored into my ability to connect with my body, and increase connection when I want to. We all are different and our bodies require different things to function, so being open to try a variety of ways to connect is helpful. Plus, you never know when you’ll find something new that you like!
Happy connecting...