Why Do We Want to Listen to Our Body?
- “Smile feel!”
- “My body is the garden of my soul.” -Deepak Chopra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUjW4JGAxmQ
- What do you want to express? Fear or Love of life? The body is the tangible expression of our souls. We can either let it bloom or wither.
- “My body is the garden of my soul.” -Deepak Chopra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUjW4JGAxmQ
- “Smile listen!”
- “Our body is the home of our spirit. It is the means by which we enact our beliefs. Therefore the maintenance of the body is a spiritual duty, an act of Love not only toward ourselves but toward all of humanity.” -Rolf Gate, Meditation on the Mat, Day 64.
- Success in business comes from one's ability to understand their customer's needs. Success in the service industry comes from one's ability to Love, understand, and give appropriate service to those that they serve. Success in the family comes from one's ability to Love and accept each other. Our bodies show us our knowledge of Love through physical appearance, actions, and expressions.
- “Our body is the home of our spirit. It is the means by which we enact our beliefs. Therefore the maintenance of the body is a spiritual duty, an act of Love not only toward ourselves but toward all of humanity.” -Rolf Gate, Meditation on the Mat, Day 64.
- “Hear the Truth of you body's wisdom!”
- “Instead, speaking the Truth in Love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in Love, as each part does its work.” -Ephesians 15-16
- Without first understanding the concept of Love on the micro level of the body, it is impossible to understand Love on the macro level of the divine. By understanding how to live in Love with our own bodily community, we might understand how to live together in harmony rather than hate. As is above as is below!
- Without first understanding the concept of Love on the micro level of the body, it is impossible to understand Love on the macro level of the divine. By understanding how to live in Love with our own bodily community, we might understand how to live together in harmony rather than hate. As is above as is below!
- “Instead, speaking the Truth in Love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in Love, as each part does its work.” -Ephesians 15-16
How Do We Listen to Our Body?
- “Smile feel!”
- “Give me clarity in mind and heart. Release me from my confusion, which is born of the past. Let me see everything as if for the first time.” -Deepak Chopra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUjW4JGAxmQ Time stamp 1:42
- See everything for what it is, not what it was, or some image that we are holding onto. Release the past. Release comparison and judgment. Feel what is, not what you think should be. Feel your body, what is it asking you for? To slow down, to move faster, to find stillness, to eat a donut, to eat an apple, to feel freedom, or to be bond in expectations? And take steps to give it that which it needs.
- “Give me clarity in mind and heart. Release me from my confusion, which is born of the past. Let me see everything as if for the first time.” -Deepak Chopra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUjW4JGAxmQ Time stamp 1:42
- “Smile listen!”
- “Yoga says that we should start where we are, on the physical plane, with our bodies and the acts of our bodies. Furthermore, we must begin to see our minds as organs of action, and our thoughts as acts.” -Rolf Gate, Meditation on the Mat, Day 64.
- Dancing Mindfulness, yoga inspired dance therapy developed by Jamie Marich Phd, and yoga therapy is being used by the mental heelth care community to reach the unconscious mind or lizard brain in order to heel trauma. Trauma comes from the Greek word traumat, which means wound. Any large or small mental or physical wound causes us to react in fear rather than respond in Love until that wound is heeled. Yoga can heel the feelings beneath our thoughts, so that we might once again act gracefully, confidently, and with a sense of freedom and joy.
- “Yoga says that we should start where we are, on the physical plane, with our bodies and the acts of our bodies. Furthermore, we must begin to see our minds as organs of action, and our thoughts as acts.” -Rolf Gate, Meditation on the Mat, Day 64.
- “Hear the Truth of you body's wisdom!”
- “Not only does body language communicate confidence and power, it enhances your believably, illustrates and emphasizes the points you are making, and helps to release any nervous energy you may have. Body language is expressed in stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact.” -Toastmasters International, Competent Communicator, Your Body Speaks
- When considering a listeners feelings or attitudes, according to the Albert Mehrabian Communication Model 7% is verbal, 38% is vocal, and 55% is body language. Body language is the most recognizable part of communication, because it is the most easily recognizable part of communication. Everyone's body speaks the same language, but the words and sounds that we make differ greatly from culture to culture, social circle to social circle. This makes body language idea for uniting all people. For example, a frown and smile are more or less universal signs for sadness or happiness. Before you react in fear, respond in Love with appropriate stance, movement, gestures facial expression, and eye contact. Act with intention!:-)
- When considering a listeners feelings or attitudes, according to the Albert Mehrabian Communication Model 7% is verbal, 38% is vocal, and 55% is body language. Body language is the most recognizable part of communication, because it is the most easily recognizable part of communication. Everyone's body speaks the same language, but the words and sounds that we make differ greatly from culture to culture, social circle to social circle. This makes body language idea for uniting all people. For example, a frown and smile are more or less universal signs for sadness or happiness. Before you react in fear, respond in Love with appropriate stance, movement, gestures facial expression, and eye contact. Act with intention!:-)
- “Not only does body language communicate confidence and power, it enhances your believably, illustrates and emphasizes the points you are making, and helps to release any nervous energy you may have. Body language is expressed in stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact.” -Toastmasters International, Competent Communicator, Your Body Speaks
How Ustrasana can Help Us Listen to Our Body!
- “Smile feel!” with Ustrasana or camel pose.
- Ustrasana was the first yoga posture or asana that I really had to start listening to my body in order to perform safely. Not following this pose correctly can be really scary as I found out. Firstly, I realized that I could really hurt my lower back. Secondly, I began to feel all kinds of emotions that made me panic and start to feel the fear of “falling,” which made me want to avoid the asana entirely.
- There are many articles on the emotional release the Ustrasana can bring, here is a great one by JP Staut of Bikram Yoga AZ on the reasons this release occurs. He talks about his personal experience and the psychological reasons for such a release. http://gabriellayoga.com/2015/01/16/what-are-the-benefits-of-hip-openers-in-yoga/
- Ustrasana was the first yoga posture or asana that I really had to start listening to my body in order to perform safely. Not following this pose correctly can be really scary as I found out. Firstly, I realized that I could really hurt my lower back. Secondly, I began to feel all kinds of emotions that made me panic and start to feel the fear of “falling,” which made me want to avoid the asana entirely.
- “Smile listen!” with Ustrasana.
- However, now that I am able to follow the asana positioning or alignment correctly, I feel a terrific stretch in my back, and an emotional sense of freedom and openness.
- As I mentioned, alignment was very important to me in this pose. The most important alignment, I have found, was to keep the knees and feet hips distance apart, other wise, you will feel a pinching in the lower back or worse. This is a wonderful article by Alyssa Dodson, yoga instructor, writer, and world traveler, which offers 5 proper alignment techniques for Ustrasana. It also offers some modifications. http://www.doyouyoga.com/5-alignment-tips-for-camel-pose-56446/
- However, now that I am able to follow the asana positioning or alignment correctly, I feel a terrific stretch in my back, and an emotional sense of freedom and openness.
- “Hear the Truth of your body's wisdom!” with Ustrasana.
- There are a few poses that I look forward to at the end of a busy day filled with emotional baggage. Ustrasana, as I have mentioned gives me a great stretch and opens me up, giving me a chance to clear every thing that I have been carrying around out of my body and mind. Did I mention Ustrasana is good for constipation! :-)
- Here is a very thorough article by CNY healing Arts Wellness Center and Spa that goes over all the physical benefits of performing Ustrasana correctly. http://www.cnyhealingarts.com/2011/01/11/the-heelth-benefits-of-ustrasana-camel-pose/
- Jacqueline Buchanan, another yoga teacher, writer, traveler from doyouyoga.com, in this article presents a very great look at the benefits of Ustrasana in regards to the the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms. http://www.doyouyoga.com/the-holistic-benefits-of-camel-pose/
- There are a few poses that I look forward to at the end of a busy day filled with emotional baggage. Ustrasana, as I have mentioned gives me a great stretch and opens me up, giving me a chance to clear every thing that I have been carrying around out of my body and mind. Did I mention Ustrasana is good for constipation! :-)
Technique
- CAUTION: Do not practice with high or low blood pressure, migraine, insomnia, or serious lower back or neck injury. REMEMER ALIGHNMENT http://www.doyouyoga.com/5-alignment-tips-for-camel-pose-56446/
- Spread your knees hips width apart. Curl or point your toes.
- Raise up with the thigh muscles, so that your upper body and thighs are perpendicular to your lower legs. You should feel like you are doing Tadasana or mountain pose from the knees up. Learn how to perform Tadasana here: http://forselflove.weebly.com/blog/-how-to-make-2016-a-great-year-how-to-love-yourself-with-healing-and-hope Make sure that your feet are in a line with your knees.
- Place your hands on the sides of your lower back, and gently reline backwards.
- CAUTION: Be mindful of pinching in the back. If you have pinching, check alignment. If alignment is correct, perform a gentler back bend like Baddha Sarvangasana as I mention in this previous article. http://forselflove.weebly.com/blog/how-to-love-yourself-by-loving-others
- IF COMFORTABLE: Take a deep breathe, lengthening the spine at the same time. Then lower the hands to the heels. Look backwards, following the arch of the spine. Hold this for as many deep breathes as possible.
- Recommended feel good practice: First, only follow these suggestions if they help you relax more. Remember the goal is relaxation. Simply breathing is enough in many cases, but these might deepen your experience.
- Be in the present. For me, the pleasure of a great back bend or pain of a bad one can be rather hard to ignore. During this asana, above all REMEBER TO FEEL through your body, do not get distracted by thoughts about the day, and loose sight of how your body is responding Ustrasana. Does it feel like this pose is creating space and freedom through a supple spine and outstretched heart or fear and pain because alignment is incorrect or this asana is not right for your body at this time.
- As you breathe try thinking to yourself the following sentence with each breath. “Smile feel” inhale. “1” exhale. “Smile listen” inhale. “2” exhale. “Hear” inhale. “3” exhale. “your body's wisdom” inhale. “4” exhale. Continue this as long as you would like.
- Smiling will help you relax even more.
- Recommended feel good practice: First, only follow these suggestions if they help you relax more. Remember the goal is relaxation. Simply breathing is enough in many cases, but these might deepen your experience.
- If you lowered all the way to the heels, lift back up enough to place the hands on the lower back again. Take two breathes. Bring your heels together behind you. Lower your buttock until you are sitting on your heels. Fold your upper body forward, stretching your arms in front, or resting them by your sides. This is called Balasana or child's pose. Sit for a time, breathe a few breathes, and say a little prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of physical and emotional release.
Here is a great more in depth demonstration of Ustasana, which includes benefits, tips, modifications, props, partnering, and variations. http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/camel-pose/
Do you practice “Listening to Your Body?” Please share in the comments area here or on Face Book in the "For the Love of Self" discussion area some of the ways listening to your body has benefited your over all health and ability to function happily in the world. What are some of the ways that your body speaks to you? How has listening to your body changed things in your world for the better? I know we will all gain wisdom from your insights about “Listening to Your Body.” Thank you, my friend, and keep on listening!
If there is a topic you are passionate about or question that you would like answered about how to Love ourselves better, I would love to hear it. Please write a comment about it here or on Face Book in the "For the Love of Self" discussion area.
Thank you so much for taking time to meditate on “Listening to Your Body” today! Listening to my body has been making such a difference for the better in the ways that I see myself, and interact with others, giving me a sense of confidence and grace that I never had before. Writing this article has really helped me see the larger picture of how listening to my body really does effect the world around me. It is a choice that gets easier over time and regular practice. “Smile feel, smile listen, hear your body's wisdom!” It is great to find a renewed appreciation in something I was just using to get from point A to B! I feel more in Love with my body day to day, because in that way, Loving all my parts helps me Love all humanities parts as well! As is above, as is below! Thank you for giving me an opportunity to experience this on a deeper level! May we all learn to Love the beautiful bodies that God has given us beyond the past and comparison. The the only Truth of the present! Aaron Szczurek <3 :-)