Tuning in with yourself

Right at this moment… tune in with yourself.

What do you notice?

Are you rushed? Are you holding certain parts of your body? Do you hold your breath?

Do you notice tension in certain parts of the body? What body parts?

What emotions are running through you? What thought patterns are running in the back of your mind?

What stops you from feeling easy in your body, mind and heart?

We are often caught in fight/flight/freeze mode. The demands of daily life are challenging. We are stressed in our mind and tensed in our body. We get anxious. Minds and bodies are fixed.

Our bodies feel tight, not free. Contracted, not open.

We feel down, not up. Our energy is blocked, not flowing.

Many aches and pains in the body derive from a reactivity to our surrounding such as to the people around us, our daily tasks, the crowded email inbox or the weeds in the garden. We also react to our inner landscape, to our thoughts that may put us down or put us under pressure. Any outer and inner stimulus may result in a stress reaction in our body.

Most often we are not aware of this ongoing activity of our nervous system.

We often react to what is going on around us and inside of us in habitual and limited ways. We may recognize our distress when our body is screaming, for instance, when we have a back pain, a shoulder problem or a headache…

The root of our aches and pains may be related to an ongoing stress reaction in our nervous system!

Learning to check in with ourselves and developing more awareness can improve the quality of our lives. By being in touch with our body and cultivating a body-mind connection, we learn to respond wisely to life’s demands. With a bit of practice, we are able to refine our experiences and choose our responses.

Both methods Reflexology and Alexander Technique can be helpful on this journey.

Reflexology helps to reduce stress and pain via touch of the feet. A welcoming ‘side effect’ of Reflexology is release of tension and relaxation. After some sessions, clients often notice that they feel more connected to their bodies and more attentive to their needs.

Alexander Technique teaches you practical tools how to change your habitual patterns. Stopping and pausing, taking time and opening the senses is essential in this process of change and increased awareness. Here is how you can tune in with yourself right now:

Notice your breathing… Are you holding your breath? Allow yourself to easily breathe in and out. Be with your breathing for a moment.

Now go with your attention to the place of support. Let your feet release into the floor. Notice your sitting bones and let your body weight release into the chair.

Go with your attention to your hands. Let your palms soften. Allow your shoulders to rest.

Be aware of the space all around you… The space above your head, and the space behind you. Notice the space on the left and right side, and in front of you. Allow yourself to expand into the space.

Listen… Whatever you hear, just let the sound in.

See … Soften your eyes and just receive what you see.

Tuning in with yourself regularly and cultivating a practice of easing body and mind is rewarding. It allows you to stay in touch with yourself. It enables you to find more calm and more balance. It helps you to develop an openness to life’s continuous changes, and creates more resilience for difficult times!

Interested in Reflexology or Alexander Technique? Contact me for any question you may have!

Want to know what Alexander Technique is all about? Join me on July 8 for an introductory workshop! heike@balanceartsstudio.com | 778.245.1750