A few days ago I picked up Deepak Chopra’s new book ‘The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment’ and I was delighted to find out that he dedicated one chapter to the practice of listening to your body.
Most of us are masters at listening to our thoughts. We wake up with them in the morning and we go to bed with them at night. The problem with this is that we believe in what we hear. When in fact our thoughts have very little, if nothing, to do with reality. Because most of the stories we make up, about our life and that of others, are not true.
For example: The other day one of my friends called me to apologize for a careless remark she had made at a party and that she thought had left me visibly upset. This had been bothering her for days and in her mind had grown into an issue that she was afraid could harm our friendship. The funny thing was that I could not remember her remark at all, let alone being upset by it. In her mind she had made up this ‘reality’ entirely.
Depending on your thoughts for guiding you through life is very limiting. If, however, you add the skill of listening to your body, now you have two responses to measure reality by. Not only does this offer more choices, it also reconnects you with your body, your senses and ultimately with your soul.
“By believing in your thoughts you create stories, memories and the passing of time … by being present in the moment you create infinity …”
Action Step: Listen to Your Body
For one day, check in with your body any time you experience stress or a disruption. This will require a shift away from your thoughts and it will help you to stay more present with what’s really going on.
Let’s say you start your day off by taking your kids to school (or driving to work). You are leaving the house late and traffic is bad. Instead of getting aggravated, worrying about being late and possibly calling other drivers names, take a step back and tune into your body. What sensations do you feel? Is there a knot in your stomach? Are you sweating, do you experience a tightness in your chest, or in your throat? Try to stay aware of your sensations until they dissipate.
Repeat this exercise throughout your day. Over time, your awareness will increase. You will be able to stay present with your thoughts and with your body, and you will start to recognize when your thoughts are telling you the truth and when they are not.
For example: Imagine you have been wanting to take dance lessons for a long time. Yet, whenever you approach the issue, your mind keeps telling you that you are too busy, that you don’t have a partner, that you are not a good dancer, etc. When listening to your body, however, you notice that the thought of dancing gives you butterflies in your stomach and a tingling feeling of excitement. Do yo see how this can help you in making a choice towards happiness? Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your soul mate while out dancing or you realize that you want to integrate movement into your business.
Hope this helps you in creating a magical life. If you have questions, please email me. I’d love to be of help.
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Do you want to find out what brings you alive? Get my book ALIVE: A Practical Guide to Get Out of Your Head and into Your Heart”
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Photo Source: Nao.k via Flickr under a Creative Commons License
