Some variation of waking up, grabbing a cup of coffee, showering, and thinking about what lies ahead for the day. You think about the long, tedious to-do list, dropping the kids at school/daycare, all. the. meetings. And on and on until you’re shutting down and assuming autopilot out of survival. 🤪

You might get a minute to yourself for lunch, but something comes up — the need to run errands, multitask, or someone interrupts your “me time.” It feels like there’s never a moment to spend with your thoughts, let alone feelings.

SELF-CHECK:

How often do you stop when taking that shower and feel the warmth of the water?

When you drink that cup of coffee or eat a delicious meal, do you really let yourself savor the flavors? 

When you hit the gym, are you allowing yourself to feel each motion, knowing that every move you make is helping you to strengthen your body?

If you’re like most people, you tend to let these moments slip into oblivion, caught up in thoughts about all the things that need your attention. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

But you can turn these moments into mindful ones and re-discover your body and what it means to YOU. And I really do mean you. Not what you think your body should look like, what others tell you it could be, or how you wish it were again, but what’s important to you, free of the judgments and influences of the world around you. 

How would becoming more in touch with yourself through your senses feel? Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching with intention?

MINDFULNESS AND YOUR BODY

When you use mindfulness to reacquaint yourself with your body, you learn to be present with unpleasant and pleasant sensory experiences. And let me tell you, using your full sensory experiences really frees you from constantly avoiding the uncomfortable and seeking only comfort.

For example, my comfort-seeking behaviors are eating, checking things off to-do lists, and all-night tv binges, but these comforting behaviors vary from person to person. And while there’s nothing wrong with seeking comfort, we owe it to ourselves to be mindful of when we’re using those comforts as a distraction. 

One of the things using mindfulness to connect with your body will accomplish is to allow you to see that we are constantly in the middle of changing all the time.

Before making any lifestyle change, you must learn to incorporate mindfulness into your bodily experiences and be willing to open your body to new physical sensations with compassion and curiosity. 

NEW WORKSHOP TOMORROW!

Since our minds aren’t separate from our bodies, my friend Veronica and I are hosting a workshop to guide you through the science-based tools of Mindfulness & Somatics to integrate the mind and body so that we can survive and thrive through this season of life. 

Workshop Name: Mindfulness & Somatics
Where: Live on Zoom Thursday, May 18th at 6:30 pm (recording available)
Cost: $30
How to Register: Venmo Veronica_Constance

When I felt like my mindfulness practices led me to a plateau, Veronica’s teachings helped me access a new level of healing I didn’t think was possible. During our workshop, you’ll learn how to effectively use mindfulness to support your nervous system and begin building a relationship with your somatic self.