Embracing Body Wisdom: A Guide to Self-Connection and Healing
In our fast-paced lives, we often feel disconnected, living more in our minds than in the present moment. This post, inspired by my own experiences and interactions, invites you on a journey to rediscover the wisdom of your body.
This morning, I found myself rushing between tasks, fully engaged (yet not really at all, given I was multitasking), and caught up in the business of life. Walking through the park with my dog, scrolling my phone, I bumped into a friend and fellow yogi. After exchanging puppy pleasantries, I intentionally checked the time (9:17) and blurted, “I’m trying to make the 9:30 yoga class…”
“But you’re here now,” she aptly replied, emphasizing the value of being present.
So why is it that we often feel so disconnected? Running around at a rapid pace, living inside our minds, more connected to devices than ourselves or others? And even with that invitation to be in the moment, I remained in my head, governed by the ticking of my watch, turned, and quickly rushed off to class.
While there, I looked at the sea of bodies; each different, all practicing yoga, and wondered why most of them were there? Were they seeking to reconnect to themselves? After all, yoga, by definition, means to yoke or to bind and connect you to you. How many were using the poses to get into their bodies rather than the other way around? Or solely focused on burning calories, shaping, sculpting, or losing weight? How many were genuinely linking “one breath to one movement” or allowing scrambled “monkey minds'' to wander?
These questions occupied my mind throughout the day as I attempted to harness my energy to sit down and write this post. I listened to Glennon Doyle’s “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast episode on exploring the wisdom of your body and read some excerpts from “Body Trust” by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtemvant.
The titles alone gave me pause: “How to Follow the Wisdom of Your Body,” and “Reclaiming Body Trust; A Path to Healing & Liberation.” Wisdom. Your Body. Reclamation. Trust. Healing. Liberation. These are lofty words. When and how did they become so relevant?
Later that day, as I strolled through the same park again, I made a conscious effort to be more mindful. Felt the ground beneath my feet, the air around me, and the warmth of the sun on my skin. I focused on being present with my dog, who, just like the body, functions in the here and now - responding to what is, moment to moment, rather than what was or might be like the mind, and I pondered all of this some more.
What happens to make people distrust their own bodies and become so disconnected? When do we begin to feel trapped and need to learn to follow and heal? Is it a series of small pivotal shifts or great big chasms that pull us away from our very core?
Later, in a session with a fifteen-year-old client struggling with the desire to lose weight and conform to the “standards of my generation”, she explained, “...everyone on TV is skinny, and everyone wants to dress and look a certain way. Shopping for clothes in a larger body, in the woman’s plus size section, sucks. And, to be honest, the clothes are ugly, and they’re more expensive!” It was no wonder her eating disorder (ED) manifested as a loop of intrusive thoughts, keeping her preoccupied and urging her to eat less and lose weight. Wired to “stay in the tribe,” she had internalized the message that to fit in she needed to shrink. Really?
We paused for a moment and then delved deeper. I asked her, “When did you first notice a shift? When did you start feeling bad about living in a body? What happened? When did ED come into the picture, insisting that your body was the problem and weight loss was the solution?”
Without missing a beat, she recalled a specific moment: “ED wants me to lose weight to be smaller and fit into today’s standards. And well, I remember a time when my doctor made me feel so uncomfortable. It was at my well-child check-up right after COVID started. I wasn't going anywhere, not moving as much. I was thirteen years old, and she showed me a chart indicating that my weight had gone up. Then, she handed me a small piece of paper that said ‘childhood obesity’ and well, yeah, it made me feel terrible.”
There it was, tangible, palpable, and real—the struggle held between us, despite our different lived experiences in our unique bodies.
Is this what we want for ourselves, for each other? This poignant body story, along with countless others, is a tale of interwoven moments that deeply impact certain individuals. Sensitive and smart, they come to perceive their own bodies as the problem, with weight loss as the solution. And so, it is my professional passion and pursuit to help people make sense of their experiences, reconnect with themselves and their bodies, and employ self-discovery strategies to address body image and weight concerns. We cross-train with tools such as Intuitive Eating, Yoga, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and the most powerful tool of all—the wisdom you bring and share from your lived experience.
Together, We Explore Questions Like:
What is your body story?
What does it mean to live in your body?
What is your relationship to your human vessel (spacesuit, if you will) that you were born into and will carry throughout your life?
What is the cultural discourse surrounding your body? Is it beauty?
What is the medical discourse surrounding your body? Is it health?
What messages do you hear and internalize?
Is your body the problem that needs fixing, shrinking, shaping or sculpting?
What would it be like to view your body as the source and solution, rather than the problem?
What exactly is embodiment?
As you take time to reflect, consider this working definition of embodiment from the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast: embodiment is accurate and accompanied by attunement in any given moment.
What does this mean? Is it the ability to tune in, listen, feel, respond, and be with the signals and sensations emanating from your body? Does learning to trust these signals make you feel more connected to yourself and others and, therefore more whole? Then, I recalled a quote from the “Body Trust” book: “We are easier to control if we are fragmented,” and it brought me back to a yoga class I had attended years ago but never forgotten. The message was to remember—that remembering doesn’t mean resetting, rewinding, reevaluating, or regretting. It means to re-member who you are. To become whole again, merge the wisdom of your body with the knowledge of your mind. Can we start there and initiate a curious, collaborative conversation?
Learn how to embrace mindfulness and body trust as tools for healing. Our team specializes in empowering clients to develop a trusting relationship with their bodies, food, and overall health. Contact CV Wellbeing to unlock the wisdom of your body for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
