Body—mind—spirit, where does one stop and the other begin?
Within our own minds we decide how intimately the two are connected. We each have our own perspective on just how self-aware we want or need to be. Our histories have created for us a worldview very personally our own. Whether we had a mom who enjoyed creating meals with fresh food and calm, relaxed meal times or an anxiety ridden mother who ran the carpool grabbing fast food from the drive thru and tossing it into the back seat like a 90 mph fast ball. Or, whether or not family members played sports and enjoyed the out doors or were unwavering couch potatoes. Maybe there are memories of a father coming in sweating and smiling after a game of tennis, or, a memory of his complaining about aches and pains—it’s all there–tucked neatly in that filing cabinet, stored deeply in our psyche, labeled “Mind/Body connection”.
Our conditioning determines how we think, feel, relate to and use our bodies.
And now that science has proven that each of our emotions is connected to a physiological response, well, suddenly our history is more important than perhaps we once thought it was. It brings the burden of responsibility right back home to roost. Histories create beliefs and beliefs are consequential. If we manage our emotions and come to terms with our histories, then we put ourselves in the drivers seat managing our own health and longevity.
You see, the great thing about growing up is—we get to decide what is really true and right for us.
We come to know that we each have options—sure your siblings may all be overweight but it doesn’t mean you have to be. Your mother may have had anxiety that terrified you but you don’t have to have it. A responsible adult takes charge of his or her own behavior and when behavior is not serving us well, we get to decide to adjust our style of living accordingly. We’re big kids—we have options.
My deeper thought in writing this is to expound on the many miracles I have seen occur in the human body once awareness becomes a component of our fitness routine. Once we pay attention to the energy of our bodies and how we feel on a deep level at significant moments– we can then try to understand our own propensities. For example, we can check in with ourselves to see if we find nervousness, agitation, or feelings of low self worth when we are around food, during exercise, looking into a mirror, or wearing a bathing suit. Once we understand how our body got to where it is at–at this very moment—weight, shape, size, wrinkles, warts and all–we can begin to offer ourselves compassion and love and feel a connection that can nurture us back to wholeness. We do this by listening, really listening to our bodies.
The body is capable of rebuilding, reshaping, streamlining and becoming more agile and youthful. I have seen it in miraculous fashion, over and over again. Your amazing body can heal both emotionally and physically. When we deal with the past, we deal with the present.
I’ll see you soon.
Love & health,
Loa
Loa Blasucci is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire.
