The Art of Listening To Your Body
| Happy Memorial Day Weekend! |
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| originally sent to my email list on May 22, 2026 Hi friends and students, I hope you have a wonderful upcoming Memorial Day Weekend! I’ve been sorting through a myriad of tech and communication issues, and although nothing has yet been resolved, I’m moving through my own reminder in patience and non-attachment. For me, it starts with a daily breath practice, a non-negotiable, because when I tune into my breath, I am immediately shifted into the art of listening to my body and what my body needs today, right now, in this moment. This simple and yet extremely powerful act of tuning in absolves my mind from trying to make something happen that’s out of its control. As a result of moving away from “doing” and into listening—intently and with grace—my body reveals very clearly what it truly needs. Those revelations only happen in the quiet inner moments: like the ones between sleep and waking: the ones where our minds and hearts are more easily in sync with the world around us, when we’re not distracted by constant external input. Listening invites us into conversation with ourselves. Like when you don’t want to go to that company party, and you have that feeling in your gut that you should just stay home and take it easy, but you go anyway, only to end up with a headache later and needing to lie down after all. But now you blame the headache. Or when you’re in Chair Pose and your knee feels tweaky, but instead of backing off a little, you override it because “no pain, no gain,” right? Afterward, your body reminds you that maybe it needed something different that day. Your body carries deep wisdom, and your body is always communicating with you. What if I asked you to simply breathe and feel for a moment? Your brain might immediately say: “What’s the point of this? You should be getting up and doing something.” But the only way to hear what your body has to say is to get used to listening to it. I’d like to invite you, right here and now, to breathe this in on your next inhale: “My body is always talking to me.” On your exhale, release: Resistance. Doubt. Worry. “But what about the time I got sick or developed [X, Y, Z]?” I can hear your mind resist. And I understand. I’m not asking you to get rid of resistance. Resistance can have a seat right next to you, but release it from your thoughts for just a moment. Let it sit on its own. Let your next inhale begin with: “I listen to what my body tells me.” And on your exhale, release: Resistance. Doubt. Worry. And let the third inhale begin with: “My body is always in the process of healing.” And on your exhale, release: Resistance. Doubt. Worry. Your breath is paramount to existence because it invites you back into relationship with yourself. Not every practice is right for every moment. Every day asks something different from us, and our systems need a variety of input in order to thrive. If we learn to truly listen, our bodies begin to show us the way forward. |
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