What if... part 1
I’ve been leaning into different aspects of healing, the stuff beyond the physicality of wellness, the power of the intangibles in our lives. The inherent wisdom of the body and our partnership with it is fascinating to me. And I think it holds some deep alchemy for returning us to our fundamental empowerment. I like imaging my body as my bestie, and we’re rolling through this life together! This is the first of a 3 part series exploring some different aspects of body wisdom, so follow along if you like!
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What if your body is the PERFECT vehicle, designed specifically for you, to guide you through this lifetime?
What if your body is your perfect partner, with her own deep wisdom that is worthy of respect?
Yeah, I know the joke. “Trust my gut? That thing that can’t handle dairy?!” It’s the perfect dismissal. We’re taught that our mind knows best, and it’s the dictator of our life. The body is something to be controlled through discipline to look a certain way and perform how we want it to. The body is broken, the flesh is weak, and needs to be mastered and fixed. Mind over matter will always win.
Well where has mind over matter gotten us thus far? A world full of empty overachievement, impossible appearance standards, anxiety and depression, and chronic illness. Yes, I know these things are multifactorial, but what if, at their most base level, they’re rooted in the mind’s insistence on control, rather than a respectful partnership with the body? What if that disconnection is a fundamental breach of how we’re designed to operate?
What if the body has a say? What if she takes the lead? What if all that mental chatter about what “needs to be achieved” was just propaganda from the outside world?
Each time our body’s wisdom is dismissed or opposed, it takes a toll. A small wounding that adds up over and over again. The silent cries get louder until we’re in pain, or experiencing disease. We try really hard to silence her through drugs or discipline or strict routines, because our minds will search for any means of keeping logical control.
And our body, that perfect vehicle, with aeons of knowledge inside her, will keep going, as long as possible, trying her best to keep functioning while taking those hits again and again. All the while, she’s waiting to have us acknowledge her strength and honor her wisdom. Always ready, when given the proper respect and freedom and tools, to engage her tremendous capacity to heal. She will try again and again, the most forgiving of companions, to work with us in perfect partnership.
Your body is waiting for you to stop the fight, to stop the domination, to stop the hatred, to set down the societal conditioning, and step into a respectful and loving relationship.
Some prompts for thought…
Where have I considered my body an adversary? An enemy?
Who told me that’s something I should do?
What if I choose differently?
How can I treat my body like a friend?
What are some of the awesome things my body has done for us?
How can I can build trust with her as a partner?
What is one small way I can honor her today?