listening to your body

I feel completely drained right now, my mind feels foggy, just not quite clear and my head feels heavy like I just want to lay it down on a soft pillow. My shoulders are aching, even my fingers feel heavy upon the keyboard as if it is hard to lift them to hit the next key.

This is part of mindfulness, recognising what is going on in your body in the present moment even if it doesn’t feel all that pleasant. It allows me to notice what is there and with acknowledgement comes acceptance. This is how I feel right now, but it will pass, and I will be OK. Mindfulness can bring our attention to aches and pains that perhaps we need to address, it can also cause us to feel grateful when we’re feeling good! It is so wonderful when we stop and get in touch with how our body feels and notice we are feeling good in our body at a particular moment, that we have more energy than we realised, or that a usual pain, ache, or worry isn’t there right now.

Just stop what you have been busy doing and allow yourself to sit in a comfortable position, the floor is fine, or on a chair with a nice straight back where your feet can touch the ground. Feel your feet and how they ground you to the earth. If you feel comfortable you can close your eyes, if not just lower them gently so you’re not distracted by what is around you. Allow yourself to wiggle for a moment to allow yourself to feel comfortable.

Once you feel as comfortable as possible place your hands gently on your tummy and take a breath in first feeling the air in your chest, keep breathing in so you can feel your tummy rise. Allow your breath to gently flow out.

Again take a breath in, imagine your body is breathing in pure light and energy, perhaps you’ll see a colour. Breathe in and fill your tummy, and then gently allow yourself to exhale.

This time breath in the light and positivity energy and when your exhale release any negativity into the universe. Acknowledge that you are letting go of negative energy and breathing in positivity.

Do this two more times.

Now allow yourself to just return your breath to a normal, comfortable rhythm. With your eyes still closed, or looking down allow yourself to come into your body, feel your feet on the ground and then gradually travelling up your body notice what parts feel good and what parts are bothering you. Move all the way through your entire body. Once your have reached the top of your head return to your breathing exercise, this time breathing the positive light into any areas that may have felt uncomfortable.

Slowly begin to take note of your surrounding through sound, what can you hear around you, what can you hear in the distance? Then slowly open your eyes and return to the room. Stretch your body and notice how you are feeling.

It is a nice idea to reach for a journal, or piece of paper and jot down how you felt, or what you may have been surprised by. If you like to draw you could draw your experience in whatever way you wish to. Just know there is no right way or wrong way to feel. It is just a simple exercise to get you noticing how your body feels, or connect you to your mind and body in a deeper way.

Other beautiful ways to take time is to be outdoors, take off your shoes and feel the earth beneath you, even lay on the ground and notice how it feels to connect to the earth. Try breathing in the light and feeling your tummy rise and fall with your breath.

Getting in touch with yourself isn’t about expecting to feel a certain way, but rather to acknowledge what is already there. Once we acknowledge how we feel our body feels listened to and we can begin to move forward.

I hope this helps you. Thank you for reading, Kylie xx

If you feel getting in touch with yourself brings up any deep sadness then please speak to someone you can trust.