The Body Knows

This writing is Certified Human

“You carry your stresses not in the event but in your body.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

The Obstacle

Autopilot runs
And we go.

Replaying
Scenarios
Reactions
Anticipations
Attitudes
Frustrations
Anxieties

We are used to it
It’s what we do
Day in
Day out
It is “normal”...

We are stressed
Overburdened
Anxious
Out of time
Short tempered
Unhappy.

Despite this
We keep the same routines
Do the same things
Have the same reactions.

We live inside our heads
Replaying
Reliving
Redoing
In a loop.

The Gift and Opportunity

We live the loop
We made the loop.

Since we made it
We can remake it.

Recalibrate
With intention
Discipline
And practice
Into what serves us and others. 

The body knows
We just need to check in
And listen.

Our anxieties
Fears
Frustrations
They live in our bodies
Localized.

Might be balled fists
Tight neck
Knot in the shoulder
Scrunched face
Clenched jaw
Tight chest
Restless leg…

When we check in with our body
It tells us what’s happening
And where

We just need to take the time
To ask
And listen.

Take a moment
Close your eyes
Take a few deep breaths

Let the mind settle
Find where and what is calling
What is unsettled in the body will draw our attention.

Where there is pressure
Tightness
Where the mind is goes.

Finding
Understanding
Acknowledging
And feeling
Is all part of understanding and recalibrating.

Do this as often as we can throughout the day
The body knows.

The Why

I find myself pacing and racing
One thing to the next.

I am unsettled
Moving from email
To calls
Messages
Social media
Projects
Workouts
Never ending motion. 

Worrying about reactions
Replies
Things unsaid
Things undone. 

What happened in the past
And what might happen in the future
Distracts me from what I should be doing now.

I can do more
By doing less
Finding what is troubling me.

A quick pause
To check in with my body
It’s in my neck, stiff and pained
My shoulders, knotted and tight
My jaws, clenched and set.

Finding this and focusing on releasing
Makes me aware of what I should NOT be worrying over
It shifts my mood
Mindset
Relieves the frustration and anxiety
Makes what is important clear.

The rest and focus
Gets me back in the race
Fresh tires
More gas.

When I do not check in
I end up checked out.

The Practice of Self-Mastery

• Intentionally pause
• Find what feels unsettled
• Stay with it
• Recalibrate and return to what is important

CHEAT CODE: INTENTIONAL PAUSE→ CHECK IN → FEEL → STAY → RESET