Psychotherapy, Mindfulness & Mind-Body Therapies ~ Supporting Integrative Well-Being & Relationships
I’ve lived my life predominantly under a cloud of self-protection. In some darkness. Some hiding.
It’s a natural response to the world for some people. As kids, particularly sensitive children, we hold our breath or body to protect ourselves from the bombardment of stimuli from the world, including arguing parents or unexpected barking dogs, etc.
Constriction is not bad. Left unconscious, though, it can leave patterns of stress and pain in the body-mind.
When I feel an ache, I could be angry with my body for not feeling “good.”
That’s not particularly helpful, because then I’m feeling achey AND angry.
So I looked for another perspective, and it came to me. When I’m feeling an ache or a stretch, that’s because my body is opening. The ache or stretch feeling lets me know my body is opening.
And then I feel grateful!
PRACTICE: The next time you feel an ache, slow down, breathe, noticing the ache, and imagine the area opening and stretching. Choose gratitude!
I practice yoga and each day it seems I discover a new ache. Yoga helps to alleviate a lot of my run-of-the-mill aches, thank goodness. But once in a while this idea comes to me that I’m “getting old.” More and more people I see in public seem to be getting younger, too!
I’ve realized that age is relative and somewhat flexible. (more…)