Our bodies hold a tremendous amount of practical wisdom which can help us on our spiritual path. Unfortunately we often treat them like a blind hound dog that needs constant monitoring and correction that periodically will lead us to something interesting but for the most part is a huge amount of work. Sometimes we remember that we love it, most of the time we just look at it in despair and wonder how we ended up in this place. Interestingly, most people’s bodies work extremely well including their ability to signal when we are off track, have forgotten something, or need to switch gears in order to begin the next stage of our becoming which we have prayed for/manifested.
Most of our relationship with our body, once we get out of childhood, is one way. We work to get it to do what we want it to do, fret when we can’t, despair when something goes wrong, all the while trying to focus on everything else. However, a healthy relationship goes both ways and it can be enlightening or even revolutionary to listen to what our body has to say. By this I don’t mean forcing the body to do some activity and listening to its response. We’re lucky if we get a positive response from such an abusive behavior. No, what I’m referring to is actually taking time out to listen to the body.
One of the more effective ways to do this is via meditation. Pick on area of the body, one part, one aspect, quiet the mind, relax, then focus your attention. Don’t try to control what happens, just focus and be open-minded. As we are a whole being mind/emotions/body/soul, what the body has to say may or may no be physical. Emotions might come up. Let them have their way. Memories might start wandering through your mind. Let them wander but note that they are not a random or disconnected event. They are connected to this area of the body. A desire to move in a certain way might take hold of you. Do it. Stretching, moving, dancing are all communication. They body doesn’t tell, it shows through doing. The more you pay attention to specific areas of the body, the more you listen rather than command or denigrate, the more fully your soul is able to access…well…life. And that’s a good thing, right?
