mindfulness of the body activity

Mindfulness of the Body Activity

Our weight loss journey is a partnership between our physical body and our awareness.  In the world we know today our physical bodies take a beating.  We work tireless hours and are often running from place to place.  We do not give ourselves time to eat or exercise properly.  We find ourselves tired, overworked and often with little to no energy to maintain even the simplest health routine.  In addition, we do not pay much attention to our bodies. We are not aware of what is happening to them in the present moment; our minds are always focused elsewhere.

How many times have you found a bruise or cut on your body and you do not even remember how it got there?  Has your body become stiff or sore and yet you are unsure of what might have caused it?  Do you sometimes feel bloated or nauseous and thought perhaps you just weren't feeling well? Do you take aspirin for a headache without wondering why the headache was there in the first place?

Getting connected with your body is a first step in discovering the cause of your weight gain and becoming acquainted with your symptoms.  If aren’t aware of what your body needs or how it feels; how then, can you possibly support it?

Activity

Sit in a chair or on a meditation cushion.  Ensure your space is quiet and you will not be disturbed. Begin breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.  With each breath, breathe more deeply, taking in more and more fresh air and releasing the stale air in your lungs.
Place your hands on the areas of your body you are unhappy with.  This could be a place where you carry weight or a place where you are experiencing pain, discomfort or dis-ease.

Take a deep breath and with your hands still on your body; answer the following questions:

What is my level of awareness currently?  Around my health?  Around my overall happiness?

What am I using to medicate myself?  Tylenol, Caffeine, Television, Anti-depressants etc.

Where am I self-medicating? Constantly on the phone or out socially, alcohol etc.

Is my body physically healthy?  Proper weight, proper diet, illness etc.

Am I happy?

How does my body feel?Where do I feel pain? Soreness?  Inflexible?  Heavy?

Where do I feel light?  Open?  Strong?

What emotion is here?

What other messages/images/thoughts/feelings come up for me when I touch this area? For example; you may place your hands on your stomach and see a yellow light or feel the anxiety of your life being carried in this space.  By becoming aware of what is going on within your own physical body, you will begin to build a relationship with it.  You will begin to understand what is causing the excess weight and also what emotional issues you may need to work on.  Spend at least 20-45 minutes a day with this exercise for at least 7 days.  Journal what comes to you as messages/thoughts/feelings daily.