Connect with your Body
Our minds can be particularly scattered at this time of year. We might be lost in thought about all that we need to get done in the few weeks before Christmas Day, or caught up in worries about money, family relationships, or work issues. The season might also fuel feelings of loneliness and isolation, disconnectedness, or regret. The body offers an ever-present ‘home-base’ or anchor that we can use to reconnect to the present and to gently gather and settle the mind.
It is as simple as noticing your posture. Can you become aware of your body’s position as you are reading this right now. What sensations do you notice in the body? And when you next move position, can you be aware of this movement. How does it feel to stand, walk, sit down again, and to lie down at the end of the day?
Have a go today: Practise connecting with your body. Bring your attention to your posture and where your body makes contact with the surfaces beneath it. What sensations do you notice? Enjoy what feels comfortable and cosy. Become aware of movements as you make them. You don’t need to change how you move, just notice the space your body inhabits and how it moves through this space. Your body is always present for you. Can you spend a little time being present for your body?