Simplify your Life: Body Awareness

How do we reconnect?

Every Day Sage has a theme for the year: Simplicity. This is a first of a series of posts where I will share some of my tips for cultivating this under-valued quality. I'm also going to use this post as an opportunity to clarify a couple things about the business.


But first, a few anecdotes:

• My sister told me a story yesterday that her ex-boyfriend, at 28 years of age, had a mini-stroke. The day it happened, he had a busy day and in lieu of eating actual food he subsisted on two Rockstar drinks. He collapsed at work after slurring his words and being unable to form a sentence. There doesn't seem to be any lasting damage but the fact remains that the man is under 30 and already has had a stroke.
• A dear friend of mine recently attempted to work with her doctor to change birth control methods because she was uncomfortable with the idea of consuming hormones in perpetuity. The doctor laid so much shame on her as she lay half naked on the examination table that she went along with what he said, against her intuition, and then completely stopped receiving her monthly cycle. 
• As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I have to continually check myself as I cram my body into these funny shapes, to listen to the messages of my body instead of ignoring them and potentially injuring myself, all in the name of "looking good." I am especially aware of this tendency in light of the unraveling of a system of yoga I had identified myself with which turned out to be a cult (this might be a bit of an over-statement, but many of the signs were there). Especially in environments where we are encouraged to be vulnerable must we be vigilant.

What's the point of all this? To demonstrate how over-complicated and disconnected we as humans are from our own bodies; and, how we deny our senses and ignore the messages of our body's wisdom. I'm sure you have your own stories; either things you've noticed in the people around you or habits you have yourself.

I believe it is this disconnect that leads to most sickness and disease.

Every Day Sage is committed to re-connecting you with your body, and in doing so, with the world around you. To reconnect you with something greater than the mind perceives-with your unique SOUL, to our own innate wisdom: the teacher, or guru, that lies within each and every one of us. The road to optimal health is not one of extreme dieting, restriction, over-exercise, denial, asceticism; quite the opposite: it feels like coming home.

The tagline of my business is "grow your inner guru." I hesitated for a while about whether or not to use this turbo-charged word, ESPECIALLY right now as multiple spiritual leaders are being revealed as corrupt (see: John Friend, Bikram Choudhury, Joshu Sasaki, Kausthub Desikachar, blah blah blah). But I'm choosing it anyway, because it feels true. That's the whole point, no?

So, what can we do to grow this guru within ourselves? What are some everyday actions we can incorporate into our busy lives that will keep us connected to our soul even as the world continues to buzz all around us? Because it ain't gonna stop buzzing, no matter how much money we make, fancy things we have, or how perfectly we get our ducks to stand in an orderly row.

Here's some SIMPLE tips for growing body awareness:

• Learn how to cook whole foods. This means nothing that comes out of a box, can, or bag. Get cozy with your kitchen.
• Eat slowly with no distractions, chewing your food properly and savoring your experience of the food. Give thanks for a brief moment before you commence eating. Notice how you feel after you eat: satiated, or over-stuffed? Gassy? Bloated? Heartburn? Begin to learn what works for your constitution.
• Hydrate properly. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water per day. This is also a good way to begin to crowd-out excessive coffee or soda intake. See how it feels to be properly hydrated-are you more alert? Able to sleep better?
• Go barefoot as much as possible. This might mean going to a park on your lunch break and taking off your shoes and walking in the grass, if only for 5-10 minutes. Let your feet widen, and settle into the ground.
• Move your body. Find a teacher you trust and who encourages you to listen to your body's uniqueness. This can be pumping iron at a gym, taking dance classes, practicing yoga, walking your dog, cycling. Find a way to move that you truly enjoy and brings joy to your life. 
• Connect to your breath. Meditation is a good way to do this. During moments or anxiety or overwhelm, even 1-3 minutes of slow, deep, full breathing (upper chest-rib cage-belly) can help diffuse the sensation.

What I'm saying is, it's time to re-inhabit your body. Take up space. Let your light shine.

These suggestions can teach us to take time to smell the flowers--to notice the simple pleasures of embodiment. From a space of connection, we move through the world from our GUTS, rather than our overcomplicated brains.

Unplugging now. See you outside....

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