We live in such a cerebral world:
- If I do X then I get Y
- I know the theory, history, and the million reasons why X, Y, or Z is the way it is
- Let me tell you about a book, podcast, or video I saw about A, B, and C
Being cerebral is great: it allows each person to synthesize complex ideas into perspectives, identities, and stories that enables that person to live in this world without going crazy.
Yet the current state of being cerebral often times excludes the experiences of the body:
- Oh I have an ache and pain, I’ll take a pain reliever
- I’m exhausted but I need to get this done (or put out this fire) again, so let me just work a few more hours (or the whole evening!)
- This headache, not a big deal – I’ll just get on with my day because there is so much to do!
We want to be real and genuine but only from the neck up – what we think and feel.
So we leave our bodies out – what sensations are we actually experiencing in the body. Maybe it is the worries that tightens our throats, or the anger that swirls around our chest, or the deep well of sadness in the pit of our stomach.
Being totally authentic requires you to live in your body – to know what is going on, acknowledge it, and not push it away.
This is especially apparent when we face a crisis, calamity, or tough times. We want to take action – to jump up and change things, solve the problem, and make things better.
Since we are in our heads and our bodies are left out, oftentimes those actions are coming from reactivity instead of authenticity.
So what does one do when times are tough and it feels like crap to be in our bodies?
Here is a video with 3 different ways to soothe this animal body we have – after all humans are animals.
No these ways are not meant to solve all your problems but they are ways to let whatever tension that is in your body have a way to move.
If you are going through a tough time right now, try it out for a few days and see what happens.
Better yet: if you do these things, message me and let me know how you feel afterwards.
Take care,
Coach Nancy Li