Does the Body Lie?

I don’t think the body ever lies. 

However, what it’s communicating to us is usually left up to our interpretation, and we are masters of self-deception.

The body is always present, which is why it’s such a powerful tool to cradle the mind into the present too. Much of what the body communicates, though, are stored messages from the past.

Practicing being with the body sounds so simple, yet we’re often so quick to rush to suppress, resist, avoid, or react from what the body is communicating. We’re often so quick to try to think our way out of emotional challenges.

Tuning into the body gives those old, scared, and determined parts of ourselves an opportunity to be seen and heard in healing ways. Especially in a culture that prioritizes the thinking mind as much as we do, though, it can be quite challenging to simply be with and listen to what the body is communicating. I’m such an amateur at this! 

One access that I find incredibly helpful is to engage the body in compassionate and interested conversation.

Yesterday morning during my meditation, I had a pressure pushing against the right side of my body from my head down to my hips. My thinking mind interpreted it as something wrong, but I gently asked that thinking mind to step aside for a few moments while I engaged with the feeling. Though the feeling dissipated immensely after being with it intentionally for about 10 minutes, it was still there a bit at the end. By being with it intentionally and compassionately, though, by the end it wasn’t a large wave trying to knock me over and instead was a gentle wave I could relax with.

I spoke to it. I'm sorry for resisting you. I'm sorry for wishing you would go away. I'm sorry for being scared of you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for the gift you are even though I don't see it yet.

And I asked it questions. Is there anything you'd like to show me or tell me? Is there anything you’d like me to know? Is there anything you want to know from me? And I'd listen for the answers. Sometimes it would speak. Sometimes it wouldn't.

The body doesn’t lie, and what it’s communicating is often a message from the past. Compassion isn’t doing what the body says to do. Compassion is hearing what it’s communicating from a space of gentle gratitude, interest, and unconditional acceptance.

Our emotions are never the problem. The problem is how we relate to our emotions. 

Much Love. ❤️

(As always, human-written.)