At the start of every session I teach, I always ask my clients the same question - “How’s your body?” My goal with asking this simple question is not only to help me tailor the next hour to their needs but also to get them to start to tune into what they feel in their own body. A session should be a dialogue, not a monologue. The first couple of times I ask this question of a client, I usually get a short answer of “Fine” or “Good” or “Tired” or another one-word response. As we continue to work together, their answers become much more specific - something like, “Well, since it’s been so cold out, I’ve been feeling a lot of tension in my shoulders from holding them up to my ears trying to keep warm.” or “I was walking around the other day and I noticed that my right leg keeps swinging out to the side as I step through instead of sweeping straight from back to front.”
Great! It makes me so happy when clients begin to notice these things. I want to be that voice in your head when you’re waiting for the train or stuck in a meeting reminding you to sit up straight, relax your shoulders, don’t sink into your hips, breathe, and so on… but mainly I want to help you find awareness of all of these things for yourself. I want you to be able to take ownership of your body.
Too many of us go about our lives without ever really checking in with ourselves. How aware are you?
Try this quick exercise:
Lie down on the floor on your back, knees bent with your feet flat on the floor, arms at your sides, palms facing up, eyes closed.
Take a quick overall scan of your body. What do you notice? Are you holding tension anywhere? Do you feel that one side of your body has more contact with the floor than the other? Is your back arching away from the floor or dropping into the floor? How about your head? Is it tucked toward your chest? Pointed straight to the ceiling? Arched behind you?
Now, inhale and try to take your breath to any tight or tense spots you may feel. As you exhale, see if you can send the tension out with you breath. Try this a few more times. Notice any changes in your body?
You spend 168 hours per week with your body. When was the last time you checked in? When was the last time you answered the question, “How’s your body?”
