It is so easy to live life in our heads, ticking off the endless to-do list and obligations. But when we can connect the mind and body with gratitude, we open up a life that is more full and present.
I believe that regular check-ins with your body and a regular practice to connect the mind and body help to regulate stress. And in this busy world we live in, anything to help keep focus and presence and reduce stress is worthwhile.
Maybe you tried my 26 Reasons to Love Your Body exercise a few weeks ago. It’s an easy introduction to a quick self-love experiment. Acknowledging that there are ways both big and small your body contributes to you moving through this world keeps you connected.
Another way to connect the mind and body with gratitude is to write yourself a thank you note.
Mine goes like this:
Thank you.
Thank you feet for the gift of good under-standing.
Thank you ankles for your flexibility, especially when the brain changes its mind and I move quickly in another direction.
Thank you knees for taking the pounding forces of footfalls of miles and miles of running.
Thank you legs for strength and springiness.
Thank you glutes for being the engine of this train.
Thank you hips for widening to let new life pass through. (Thricely!)
Thank you spine for holding me up (even when I’d rather slouch).
Thank you abdomen for rising and falling with each and every breath without me even thinking about it.
Thank you chest for expanding with my breath.
Thank you breasts for nourishing my babies.
Thank you arms for reaching out to others. Thank you, too, for accepting help even though that is so hard for me to do.
Thank you head for being on straight most of the time.
Dear Sweet Body, you are a source of profound wisdom. I thank you for telling me what I need to hear. I thank you for falling apart every once in a while so I don’t take you too much for granted. We have been on some amazing adventures, and I look forward to seeing where we’ll go next.
If you don’t even know where to start with a bodily thank you note, I suggest having a listen to my Body Blessing Meditation. In just ten minutes, it will guide you through some reflections.
Tuning your thoughts to gratitude, especially towards your body, can help lower your stress levels. Lower stress has great health benefits throughout the body. (Women in perimenopause report lower incidences of hot flashes when they meditate regularly.) And the fact you can do all of this for free and in your own home means you should give it a try today!
[activecampaign form=16]
