i allow my body to lead

ALLOW YOUR BODY TO LEAD

SO, you’ve blocked off your calendar. You created the space. No commitments, nothing to do, no responsibilities, and…wait…what’s that urgency inside? Why do we still feel pulled to be “doing” or to be busying ourselves? 

When we have organized ourselves around doing what others expect of us and around what we unconsciously expect out of ourselves as some baseline measure of success, it may be challenging to allow our body to just BE once we actually create the SPACE to spend time with ourselves.

We may know deep within us that we need the space, deserve the space, crave the space to BE, to rest, to integrate, to recharge, to be in an exploration of our self and creativity, BUT at the same time our bodies are used to being in the world differently. They have been used to overriding and overworking. Choosing again and again into busyness and “production.”

We can intellectually understand that slowing down is necessary all we want, however, it takes a hot minute for this knowing to translate in our nervous systems and energy to fully allow us to drop down into rest and recalibration. 

When I first quit my job 6 years ago to navigate my autoimmune issues and eventually start my own business, I found myself with space and time that I had never experienced before. Although it was exactly what I wanted, I didn’t know what to “do” with it, or rather, how to BE in the empty, unstructured space. 

I would be antsy, looking for books to read or podcasts to listen to, to make sure I was being “productive.” I would sign up for trainings and commit to projects that quickly filled my space. 

As I started to notice myself unintentionally and unconsciously stuffing my newly found space, I had to take an honest reevaluation of how I was spending my time and energy. 

I intentionally shifted my focus and began to work to help protect these spaces of BEING, so they could be times full of permission and slowness, without morphing into a production zone.

I also began to meet my body and system to help her BE in the BEING in a generative and supportive way. This required (and still requires) practice and a commitment to being in spaciousness and slowness (which sometimes isn’t super comfortable!) 

One of the practices that most helped me move out of production/ doing energy, into BEING energy is slowing down to listen to what my body actually desires of me during the open spaces I create.

When we are used to filling the space as a default response in the world, it leaves very little room to check in and listen to our own knowing and make choices from that place.

When I was first learning this and had alone time, I would pack up a bag with all of my favorite things: a book, my journal, colored pencils, plain paper, oracle cards, music, tea and a snack and head outside on my deck or drive to my favorite spot by my house at a reservoir and walk down to the water. 

I would set an alarm on my phone for the amount of time I was committing to (30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, etc) and would sit and allow myself to just BE, until I felt a stirring from within me to choose something to be with/move with. 

I might spend the whole hour just sitting and listening to the birds, or laying down on the grass and letting my body sink to the earth. Other times I would be called to stand up and dance with the wind, cry or scream, or play some music and sing to the trees. As I chose to be in this practice again and again, allowing my body and intuition to speak to me, I was able to recognize this voice of knowing much faster in my day to day experiences.

This helped my system start to learn that slowing down is necessary AND a safe thing to do.

Listening to and honoring my system is essential. The more I took the space and allowed this process, the easier it was to BE in the BEING. 

The next time you have space and you are called to fill it, I invite you to play with this practice. What happens when you allow your body to lead you?

If you desire more support to be in spaciousness, I invite you to reach out and connect. I am happy to have a conversation to see if working together would be a good fit !