Let's talk about body wisdom
Your brain is not your only source of intel when it comes to how you feel.
You are not just your thoughts. In truth, your body and your bodily sensations, are an invaluable source of information. What do I mean? In a situation where our boundaries are being transgressed or we’re on the brink of a behaviour that repeats old patterns that do not serve us, our body will tell us so. Think rapid breathing, nervousness, knots in our stomach, tightness in our chest, prickles in our arms. As pyschologist Terri Cole puts it, “These bodily sensations are trying to help you. They are pointing you in a new direction, and they are proof that the body is your compass to the most healing and empowering path.”
But as the trend for wearables (Oura rings to Fitbits) marches on, I feel there is a danger that we are increasingly delegating consciousness of our bodies. We need to stop obsessing over data points on last night’s sleep patterns and start tuning in to how we feel in the here and now of the present moment. Body wisdom is wisdom you can feel, bypassing intellectual reason. It’s an invaluable personal aid to growth, attempting to warn us of dysfunctional actions, but I want to focus here on the relationship of body wisdom to the home. And how it can help you to create a home that might best support you to be relaxed.