I spent a lot of my life searching for information about how to treat my body and how to achieve “success.” And quite frankly, the path I followed got me pretty far by external measures of success.
(I want to fully acknowledge that path was paved with privilege that supported my journey).
The problem was, I still felt pretty unhappy, unfulfilled, and, a lot of the time, super anxious.
It took a long time and a lot of twists and turns, but the most important thing I’ve learned thus far on my journey is that the answers aren’t and never were “out there.”
The truth is - the answers were inside my body, my heart, my intuition.
Now, don’t get me wrong, all the info I gathered over the years, all the things I tried, and the systems I followed provided important information (both about what did work for me and what did not).
But how to apply it in a way that felt authentic and aligned and fulfilling for my definition of success had to come from within.
And after practicing for many years as both a dietitian and a leadership consultant, I realized that I was not alone.
For most of us, the key to fulfillment and joy is to build a more loving connection with our bodies.
When we learn to trust our inner wisdom, we can create results in all areas of our lives that feel authentic and aligned for us.
And so was born my philosophy of Body Partnership.
What is body partnership?
I get so excited when I think about what's possible when we learn to partner with our bodies.
Body partnership is a state of being, a guiding light, a journey.
As a state of being, body partnership means a sense of togetherness, belonging, and connection. A grounded-ness that comes from feeling at home in your body and trusting that your mind and body can be together in harmony.
As a guiding light, body partnership is a way of tuning into your body for guidance about what will best support your well-being. It involves looking within for answers as opposed to looking to outside sources.
As a journey, body partnership is a process of getting curious, a willingness to try something new, and a deepening of the connection along the way. It's accepting that it may feel awkward or hard or maybe even too good to be true at times. But as we stay the journey, we learn what's possible.
If you’re thinking, “That sounds great, but how do I do it?”
I hear ya! I’m excited to continue sharing about Body Partnership and I hope you’ll stick around to hear more about it, but I’ll also offer a couple of tools you can try TODAY to get started.
The first step in body partnership
As with any great partnership, body partnership starts with curiosity and getting to know each other. In this case, we’re talking about getting to know your body on a deeper level.
So, let’s start with two exercises - one to help you tune into your physical body and one to tune into your inner wisdom.
Tuning into the physical body:
A key element of body partnership is recognizing and understanding the physical cues your body sends to you.
Our bodies are always talking to us, but for many of us, the messages have been drowned out by external advice and rules and prescriptions.
Fortunately, a little awareness can go a long way in reconnecting us with our physical bodies.
Here are three ways to tune into your body through common bodily sensations. For each of them, you probably have a general sense of what it feels like, but I encourage you to go deep, to really describe the cues your body sends that help you realize you’re experiencing the sensation.
What does hunger feel like? (For example: my stomach churns, I get cold or shaky, my concentration goes down, etc.)
What does thirst feel like? (For example: my lips feel dry, my throat feels sticky, I get brain fog, etc.)
What does tired feel like? (For example: my head feels heavy, my eyelids want to close, my motivation decreases, etc.)
The more we can recognize the cues our bodies send up, the more we can respond in a way that truly meets our needs and creates the best outcomes.
Tuning into our inner wisdom
This one might feel a little more difficult and it may take a little longer until you feel like you’re really hearing your inner voice. That’s OK! And it’s perfectly normal.
Here’s a great place to start:
Ask yourself: What do I want?
Then simply listen - what's the first thing that comes up? Try not to overthink it. Just listen. Maybe even jot down what you heard.
The goal isn't necessarily to do exactly what you heard. The goal is to open the lines of communication. Sometimes the first step is just to acknowledge it (that's why jotting it down can be helpful, it creates a sense of being heard).
I suggest doing this a couple times each day because, as with any relationship, the more we listen, the more the communication will open up.
That’s all for now! These practices will help you reconnect with your body and tune into your inner wisdom.
And, if you are ready to:
- Re-think what it means to feel healthy and safe and free in the body you were born into.
- Connect with your inner wisdom as you make decisions about your well-being, your business, and your life.
- Say, “Thanks, diet culture, I’ll take it from here”
I hope you’ll stick around! Hop on my email list and you’ll always be the first to know what’s on my mind and what’s coming up on the blog and in the biz 🙂
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