How connected do you feel to your body?
You might recognize when she’s too warm, or too cold.
Maybe when she has to use the bathroom, or when she is ravenously hungry.
But do you know the subtleties of what she needs?
Do you recognize when she’s a little hungry, and might need some more nourishment?
When she’s maybe a little run down, and needs a rest?
Do you notice when she’s feeling a little on edge, or anxious, and needs some extra self-care?
Do you notice foods that feel good in your body, are energizing and life-giving?
Do you notice the foods that don’t feel so good, and might make your digestion wonky, or leave you feeling sluggish and dull?
Do you recognize when it’s time to make a change- in your routine, your eating, your movement?
If the answer is no, you’re normal.
We aren’t ever taught to tune in to the subtleties of what our bodies need. We are told, over and over again throughout our lives that we are not the experts: through messaging in the media, our parents and family members, the goverment, the education system, friends and aquaintances.
We’re told:
“You MUST do this to maintain (health, body size, energy levels, the status quo…)”
“You must NOT do this to avoid (bad health, body change, losing money…)” the list goes on.
We’re taught to follow experts, apps, computers and calculations over our own body’s signals, relying on outer awareness, over interoceptive awareness, leaving us more and more disconnected with what our bodies truly need.
And where we might not be scientists, researchers, THE expert on- immune health, digestive functioning, hormone balance, for a few examples- we ARE the experts on our OWN bodies. We can take in what we learn as information, allowing our body’s responses to be the ultimate decision maker- and THIS is how we find our balance.
We’re taught to follow experts, apps, computers and calculations over our own body’s signals, relying on outer awareness, over interoceptive awareness, leaving us more and more disconnected with what our bodies truly need.
By integrating knowledge with intuition, we can embrace wellness without rules, but with intention and awareness around what feels best in our unique bodies. We can uncomplicate eating and health, to embody our beautiful balance.
We can take in what we learn as information, allowing our body’s responses to be the ultimate decision maker- and THIS is how we find our balance.
So where do we start? I want to share with you three simple ways to begin to better connect with your body- to build better TRUST in our bodies, as the expert, and start to sift through the weeds to allow room for self awareness to emerge from beneath the heavy muck of nutrition information and allow your beautiful balance to bloom.
1. Listen + respond.
The first step to creating a better connection with your body? Listen. How can you begin to listen in to your body’s cues, and responding?
The easiest way to start to tune into your body’s cues is by listening for your heartbeat. Sitting in a quiet room in a seated position, take a couple deep breaths and remain still, allowing yourself to tune into the beat of your heart. Continue this for a minute or so until you find it, and focus on it’s rhythm. It’s subtle- but it’s there, much like the other signals you might be unintentionally ignoring, right now.
You can practice this on multiple days, if you’d prefer, or you can move onto a body scan. Simply sitting still and scanning your body, toe to head, asking honestly how your body feels, in that moment. This can be a powerful tool for awareness of what is going on in your body- are you feeling tired, sore, holding onto tension, certain emotions bubbling under the surface, slightly hungry? The more in tune you are with your body as a whole, the easier it will be to start noticing subtle hints of hunger, fullness and what feels good in your body.
What’s important, next, is to respond to your body’s cues. What is your body telling you- and how are you going to respond? Is it with rest? Self care? A snack? Whatever it is, responding to the recognition of something going on in your body is the first step towards TRUST, and TRUST is a key ingredient in finding a balance that feels good for your unique body- we need to trust our body has the ability to find and maintain that balance. Awareness is a prerequisite to trust.
By integrating knowledge with intuition, we can embrace wellness without rules, but with intention and awareness around what feels best in our unique bodies. We can uncomplicate eating and health, to embody our beautiful balance.
2. Create the space- remove distractions around eating.
How do we begin to create connection with our body around eating? We need to create the space to do so! We can’t connect well if there are constant distractions, so how can you begin to remove distractions and create space to allow yourself the opportunity to tune into hunger, fullness and satisfaction?
Could you…
- Plan ahead so you’re not eating on the go?
- Turn off the TV, the radio and put your phone in the other room when you sit down to eat?
- Wait until the kids are down for a nap before eating lunch?
- Take a deep breath and center yourself to the moment when you are ready to eat?
Whatever YOU need to do to remove distractions: do it- as much as you can, that is!
3. Remove the noise.
It is impossible to tune in and connect with our OWN bodies when we are constantly taking in the noise from the outside world. How can we turn DOWN the noise and tune OUT the experts to make way for our bodies to be the expert?
Which social media posts, websites, blogs, TV shows, books are making you feel pressured to eat or live a certain way? How can you turn down the noise by muting, unfollowing or re-framing the messages you see so that you can make room for beginning to notice what YOU need?
Remember: it’s ok to take in information and apply it, if it works- but recognizing if something works is a necessary part of the process; often (MOST often) we need to learn the skills of tuning in to ourselves before we can allow in information from outside sources. You will ALWAYS have the opportunity to learn and apply new information; focus on YOU first, and how to gain the skill of connection and attunement to YOUR body and her needs, before you bring in the opinion of others.
So now let’s apply:
1. How can you begin to create a practice of LISTENING and RESPONDING to your body? What first step do you need to take?
2. How can you remove distractions that are keeping your from awareness of what your body needs?
3. How can you remove the outside noise to allow yourself the space to tune in?
Uncomplicated Eating is coming:
Release the rules, ditch the diets, overcome emotional overeating and simplify nutrition to infuse JOY back into eating again.
Find your beautiful balance and uncomplicate eating, once and for all with my signature intuitive eating-based course, Uncomplicated Eating. It’s launching on March 30. Get on the waitlist, now.
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