By Melody Wright, LMFT
Too often the messages we receive from society take us away from our present-moment experiences, our genuine emotions, and our truest selves. As we attempt to navigate this culture of distraction we end up feeling lost, disconnected and unsure of ourselves. It’s become too easy to get lost in our thoughts, whether we get lost in thoughts about the future or the past. This split and physical disconnect is a large reason why increasing your body awareness is so important and often eye-opening.
WHAT IS BODY AWARENESS?
Body awareness is being consciously connected as a whole versus mind and body being two separate entities. When we were born and progressively moved forward with body control, we learned body awareness in coordination with crawling, walking and progressed as most people do; such as how far to reach for something, or how to climb stairs. As adults, the concept of body awareness in this context becomes second nature given normal circumstances such as perception and spacial awareness of our physical selves.
WHAT ABOUT BODY AWARENESS IN THERAPY?
In this scope, it is much more than the physical part of ourselves. Body awareness represents our mind and body as one and the responses (behavior) we have.
Having body awareness is beneficial during therapy because our bodies hold on to past memories and experiences; it shows in our body language, posture, and our expressions. Physical manifestations of trauma can cause an upset stomach, migraines, hormone imbalances, and other medical conditions. Studies have shown that there is a relationship between trauma and our bodies.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BODY AWARENESS?
The benefits of having body awareness in therapy help to understand your body’s signals in relation to what you hold within. Realizing your own breathing and other physical sensations foster a pathway for changes in responses to overwhelming feelings. For example, if you just disagreed with a coworker or friend, you may not notice the physical changes that happen during the exchange. Changes such as faster breathing, racing heart, shaking, stiff limbs, tightness or a clenched jaw. You may notice them after the confrontation, but during the confrontation you may be less aware.
What would it feel like if you were more aware of your body’s responses to a bad memory, a negative association to something in your environment or argument with someone close to you? With the help of a professional somatic therapist, you can begin to increase your body awareness. They can assist by helping you bring attention to your body and physical sensations during the session. With gentle guidance in a safe space, you can learn about your physical experiences, which can lead to growth, acceptance, and change. You can be more centered and freer of holding in the negativity that impacts both your mind and body.
THE POWER OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE
We are often our own worst critics and if we can neutrally observe our bodies, meaning what our bodies do isn’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’, makes it easier to focus more on the behavior, feeling or reaction. This component added to therapy will enhance your outcomes when working with your therapist.
If you find that this is a struggle at first, there are other areas that can be focused on. How many times have you been engrossed in a project with a deadline and you kept working despite you were starving? Your body tells you it needs nutrition, just like it gives you a signal when you are stressed or feeling anxious. By being more attentive to basic physical needs creates more awareness of the cues when your body is stressed or overwhelmed. This allows you to connect what triggers you may overlook in response to a traumatic event or troubling situation.
WORKING WITH A SOMATIC THERAPIST
As you work with a trained somatic therapist, you will understand your own body not just your mind and emotions. Somatic therapists track emotional and physical shifts to recognize signs that give clues as to what is going on internally. We have a huge toolbox of body-based resources to support you in building body awareness. Most human communication is through body language. Yes, we use words to communicate; however, our bodies say much more. Even when you are quiet while seated in a room with others, you are communicating. If you are nervous you may fidget without even realizing it. If you are having a bad day, your jaw may lock, and you don’t realize it. You may cross your arms tighter across your chest.
By recognizing how emotions are tied to your body brings a strong mind-body connection that opens the pathway to self-understanding, acceptance, and processing that enables you to respond better to your environment. Self-awareness is a great skill to have and use while in therapy and you will find more positive results in therapy by incorporating it into sessions.
If you are struggling with connecting your mind and body during therapy, talk with your therapist about different techniques or other options.
Therapy Reflections
Do you know what happens in your body when you feel anxious or sad?
When something or someone pisses you off, how connected are you to your body in that moment?
What signals does your body give you when you feel happy or grateful?
What can you do today to increase your body awareness?
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