How to Connect to your Body ~ and Why?

One of my community members asked a brilliant question last week.

" Although I experience moments of connection to my body, they are fleeting. Is there a trick to keep yourself fully in touch?"

Everyone gaps out now and again, but I think it is worthwhile discussing what can help us develop attention and awareness.

In this blog post I am going to give you my best tips and lay out WHY this connection is so important and beneficial.

1 - Forget about the pose as the goal!

Instead, think of the pose as an opportunity to view yourself from different perspectives.

The Asanas allow us to witness movement in the body. We notice limitations; patterns. The body is tactile in nature. Tangible. It is easier to observe than trying to figure out our minds which whirl and are illusive.

The physical Asana practice is our chance to move, but also our chance to develop awareness of ourselves.

If we get carried away with seeing the pose as the goal, we don't notice the present; the process; the unfolding. We don't actually see what is happening in the moment.

When we think the pose is the goal, we start forcing. We focus on expectation instead of 'what is'. We contribute to inner conflict and tension instead of developing connection.

As long as we are on our mat moving through the poses, it is enough. Utilize your attention of feeling. Don't waste your energy in thinking about some objective into the future. There is nothing to achieve.

Accept where you are at. Keep practicing and trust the benefits are coming.

Agility will come. Strength will come. Balance will come.

Don't push and pull your body into the pose. Focus on feeling and breath.

2 - Slow Down!

In modern culture, we are trained to be quick and efficient.

In our practice, we commit to giving ourselves time to to feel, time to let go, and time to rest. The pauses in our practice where we scan the body, when we notice the breath, where we let go of expectations, tension, this is where we start to notice the here and now.

In order to notice what is going on inside, we have to slow down.

However, don't slow down to the point of boredom.

Slow down, but keep yourself interested.

Enjoy bursts of energy.

Take risks in trying something if the energy is there; if the ease is there.

Be creative.

Just keep in mind, it is critical to take time to set up the foundation for each pose. Spend as long as you are comfortable in the pose, and also notice how you come out of the pose. Each moment counts. Keep awareness at the forefront.

Yoga is not a race. There is not finish line. Take your time to enjoy the journey. Make the goal noticing each breath instead of just getting to the end of your practice 'to get it done'.

One mantra I like to repeat to myself is " I have time".

3 - Feeling Vs. Thinking

The body is sending us signals ALL the time. We know in our hearts what brings us Joy. We sense when there is danger or risk. We feel it in our bellies.

I think much of our modern education and culture teaches us to deny the information we get from the body, and yet it is there. We can ALL tune into these signals; the wisdom of the body.

We have come to rely so much on our brains; thinking. In Yoga we learn to feel. To connect to our bodies. It might feel foreign at first, but soon enough you will be able to distinguish feeling from thinking.

Thoughts will exist, but we learn to let them be background noise, and instead listen to the song of the body. It helps to acknowledge this is a shift from the norm. We love to use our brains. Don't judge this aspect of us humans. Just know feeling is another form of intelligence.

Remember you don't have to fix what you feel; you just have to feel it.

Acknowledge it.

4 - Expect Emotions May Arise

This one is important! When we do start to tap into the body, it is VERY common and normal to uncover hidden emotion. We store unprocessed experiences in our body and when we start to observe 'what is' inside the body, these past experiences and the corresponding emotion can surface.

Many times our own psyche protects us from feeling too much all at once. So don't judge yourself if you find yourself distracted in the practice. Many of us have learned to disassociate from our body, (from feeling), to protect ourselves.

Recognize this might be a coping strategy and you probably learned it in childhood before you had other tools and support.

So go easy. And if emotion does arise, let it come. Observe how it feels in the body. The sensations that correspond to the emotion. Notice the breath. Allow yourself to feel it in large or small doses.

Let that stored emotion burn off at whatever speed you can handle, and keep going. See it as a release. You are letting go of what you don't need anymore.

It might feel uncomfortable, even painful, as it comes up, but once you let it pass away, you will feel lighter; freer.

5 - Consistent Practice

The truth is, consistent practice is key. Connection to the body is a skill we can develop. Just like anything else we try to learn (a language, riding a skateboard), the more time we invest in practicing the easier it gets.

We have spent many years, even decades, disconnected from our bodies. It isn't surprising we need many years to re-connect.

The good news is your body is always there waiting for you to listen to it. It never stops speaking to you.

I love this quote by unknown author:

"If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won't have to hear it scream".

This beautiful body takes you through life.

It has been with you through it all.

Take time to be with it. Love it. Embrace it.

Move it.

Make friends with it.

Once you develop that connection to your body it will take you to the present moment throughout the day. You will find you are more connected to yourself in your daily life. You will notice yourself more alive; more engaged in the HERE and the NOW.

If you want to hear my response to this brilliant question in video format click here.

If you need help developing a practice join my Yoga Community here.