Mindfulness can help us awaken to our bodies. Why is this so essential? First, disconnected from our bodies, we experience life only partially, at best. If we think about it, much of what is worth remembering in our lives, like the birth of our children, moments of profound intimacy and surrender with a loved one, and close encounters with the inevitable impermanence of our existence, share the common trait of our full presence, registering every detail, sensation, and emotion going through our body.
Second, much of our suffering comes from a disconnect from our bodies. The further we cut ourselves off, the further we drift into anxiety and despair. “We get cut off from our belly, which is the center of feeling authentic power, and from the pelvic region, the creativity and sensuality in our lives—our sexuality—we get cut off. Finally, when we’re dissociated, we are living in virtual reality. We are not getting the messages of our body’s intelligence and our heart’s wisdom,” says Tara Brach.
What could be more important than showing up to what is happening in our lives right now? Mindfulness of the body practices are about becoming fully present and paying attention to our bodies with care, acceptance, and compassion. There are lovely, guided meditations available online. Start with those. Or better, find a meditation group in-person or online to share this experience in the community.
As you practice, try noticing anything that arises from within, get curious about it, and stay with that sensation, trying not to judge nor react to it. Ask yourself these essential questions: What is happening inside of me? Can I be with this? Practicing this over and over will develop into a new way of inhabiting your body.
“Do you pay regular visits to yourself?” the poet Rumi asks. “Don’t argue or answer rationally. Let us die, and dying, reply.” What do we need to allow to die within ourselves to reply to Rumi’s question? One possible answer is that we need to be willing to suspend, even if momentarily, our desire to be in control so that we can trust and surrender to our bodies. Mindfulness of the body invites us to stay as opposed to fleeing, just enough to get more comfortable inside, to learn to be patient with ourselves and to love and accept who we are at this moment, to return home.
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash