Body as the Starting Point for Mindfulness

Recently I was listening to a session on a meditation app and the instructor said something about the role of the body in developing mindfulness that has stuck with me and I am compelled to explore further. He talked about how we begin developing mindfulness by working with the body, because body awareness is the stepping stone, the foundation to building mindful awareness of our emotions and our thoughts.

Those of us who have meditated or practiced mindfulness have experienced that sessions are often started with connecting to the breath and relaxing into the body. But I hadn’t realized how working with the body, tuning into movement and become more aware of the experience of the body was the foundation for then being able to build a mindful awareness of our emotions and thoughts. The progression was laid out by the instructor like this:

1) Movement
2) Body awareness / sensations
3) Emotions
4) Thoughts
5) Specific thoughts

It makes sense to me. And it highlights the importance, the sacredness of our relationship with our body. If we are feeling discord, distrust or unhappiness with our body the ramifications for our sense of self can be deep and painful – a disconnected from our emotions and thoughts. The work of body trust, the regaining of the ability to be fully present in our body and tap into the wisdom it holds plays a much bigger role in our mental health and wellbeing than simply supporting us in feeling better about our body.

The good news is the connection is there, even if we don’t feel it right now. It is something with intention, practice and healing we can reclaim. And it begins by simply pausing, and noticing.
A mindfulness exercise that can be helpful is body scans. Take time to regularly pause and check in with the various parts of your body and make noticing your body a habit. Build a foundation of connection with your body and this will support you in becoming more aware of and understanding your emotional and mental well being.

Thanks for reading!

Sydney is a psychotherapist providing online counselling with a focus on healing body shame. Her approach is grounded in Health at Every Size principles, supporting a reclaiming of Body Sovereignty, where we once again experience peace, trust and respect of our body. To learn more about Sydney and her approach, check out here website: www.sydneybell.ca or send an email: sydney@sydneybell.ca