Does your body feel like home?
I’ve been thinking about this lately. And I even created a class around this theme.
I’ve come to notice there is a slight difference between our bodies feeling like home and us treating them like home. Let me explain a little further.
To me, if my body feels like home, then I feel safe there. I feel cozy and held and supported. Much like I do when I am in my home. However, if I treat my body like home, this has much more to do with my actions. Treating my body like home means I care for it. I tend to its needs such as food and movement. I may even adorn it with pretty things (ie: clothes, jewelry, tattoos, etc).
While these ideas are different, it feels like they stem from the same place. That place is self-love. When we love our bodies and ourselves, we can feel safe there and we treat it as such.
Today I want to offer you a few of my favorite ways to deepen the connection with my body.
Movement: Typically this is yoga in various forms, but this can also include dancing, walking, and other forms of exercise. If I only have a few minutes, my favorite is taking Child’s Pose. There is something about closing inward, shielding from the outside world and getting quiet that I find soothing.
Breathing: This really is as simple as it sounds. Our breathing is the only part of the body that we can completely control and completely let go of the control. When I need to connect with my body in a simple way, I like to put a hand on my heart and a hand on my belly. Sometimes, I will put both hands in one of those places. Then I focus on my breath. Usually I try to deepen it a bit, but sometimes just watching it with awareness is enough to remind me that I am a physical being.
Bath/Shower: Become fully aware of the water interacting with your body. Notice the temperature and how it makes you feel. Lovingly care for the hygiene of your body.
Creativity (focusing on using my hands): I find it very easy to connect with my body when I am paying attention to how I am using my hands. This could be finger painting, knitting, or pottery. It could also be cooking or gardening. Doing something that I can feel physically helps me reconnect with my body. However, it’s all about awareness. Otherwise, it can feel like just another task to do.
I also want to offer a few journaling prompts to help you dig a bit deeper into this topic:
What does home mean to you?
How can you fully occupy your body the way you would a home?
How can you create a sense of safety within your body?
What separates you from your body?
How would you treat your body if you looked at it as your home?
I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I also offer private sessions including yoga and creativity, if you want to go deeper with this work. You can reach out through my contact page.
Side note: There is an incredible amount of nuance in this idea of safety in the body.. Any type of trauma or abuse can lead us to not feeling safe. In these cases, finding someone to help or doing practices that strengthen your connection with your body could be helpful. I am not a mental health professional and these are only my opinions.