No matter how crowded my calendar gets, I know my health and wellbeing must remain the foundation of everything I do. Learning to design systems of self care is all about maintaining this strong foundation. But for times when things are swirling around me and my attention is frazzled, cultivating mind body balance all throughout the day helps me stay grounded.
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One of the ways I am able to keep focused and live intentionally is to do regular check-ins with my body. When I pause to really feel what my body is experiencing, I gain important insight. I can use this insight to shift my tasks or to-dos into better alignment with what my body is feeling. In doing so, I create greater ease and flow in my days.
By consciously asking myself three questions throughout the day, I cultivate mind body balance:
· How am I feeling?
· What does my body need?
· How can I thank my body for doing what it does every day?
When was the last time you stopped to think about how you’re feeling? Try it now! Place a hand on your belly and a hand on your heart. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Notice what emotions arise. When we stop to think about how the body feels right now, we can make adjustments in what we are doing. This is a beautiful expression of self-compassion.
Tuning in to what your body needs doesn’t have to be complicated! Maybe you need to stop working and eat a healthy snack. Or maybe you need to adjust your workstation and posture. It could be as simple as staring out the window for a few seconds or getting up for a two-minute walk. I’m willing to guess most of us need to drink more water. Show yourself some love by responding to what your body needs.
Cultivating Mind Body Balance for Greater Productivity
By regularly checking in with my body, I am more aware of how my body works. I can celebrate all of the seemingly simple things I am able to accomplish because of what my body allows me to do. When I don’t take my body for granted, I can be amazed by the wondrous machine it is. By paying attention to where I am in my menstrual cycle, I can choose tasks that work with my body rather than against it. By consciously working with my body, I experience less frustration.
Connecting to my physical body helps me shift into being grateful for what I can do rather than focused on what I haven’t yet been able to achieve. Even better, this intentional pause in my day to check in with my body keeps me present and reduces anxiety of what lingers on the to-do list. I often take myself through the Drops in the Bucket activity if I need help focusing on the positives in my life.
I also find that this mindful body scan practice helps lessen negative self-talk, too. These scripts can be so prevalent in the mind, but they are so darn unproductive! Tuning in to mind body balance really can reduce anxiety and dampen the negative chatter in the mind. That means there is more space and more energy and more focus on the positive! If you struggle with body positivity, try the activity 26 Reasons to Love Your Body.
And, let me tell you: as a super Type-A, goal-oriented person, this is a HUGE SHIFT!
What I’ve learned is that when I take the time to give my body what it really needs, I have so much more energy. My family would probably say I’m nicer, too. 🙂
A Mind Body Balance Meditation
One of my favorite ways to check in with my body is through a body blessing meditation. I found the framework for this guided body scan in Christine Paintner’s book The Wisdom of the Body. By moving from one part of the body to the next, I reflect on how much work my body does for me each day. I am conscious and grateful for all the opportunities and experiences I have had thanks to my body.
I love the mind body connection of the body blessing meditation so much, I made a recording of it to share with you. It’s a practice that takes about 10 minutes, and it can be done in one of two ways. Sometimes I lie down and totally relax into my body as I scan each part. Other times I choose to move my body however it wants to move as the meditation flows to each body part.
Would you like to try the Body Blessing Meditation and reap the benefits of a strong mind body connection?
Listen to your body and see what it would like to do today!
