You know, there are a few things that I wish I would've learned sooner in my life.
Feeling my body, being actually aware of it without hating upon it, is one of those things.
There's a voluminous peace that washes over you the first time you sit with your body without viewing it as this thing, this ugly, despicable thing, that's attached to your head.
It's a moment so full of love and happiness that it's hard to describe.
It's also pretty transformational, as this affects all other areas of your life -- your career, your relationship to food, your sex life, your way of interacting with friends and family and so much more.
Owning your body, completely inhabiting it, is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself, and yet it's also one of the hardest things to do.
So, let's start small, shall we?
If you have a moment right now or maybe tonight before you go to bed, spend a few moments alone becoming aware of your belly.
Give it a try. See how your belly feels when you breath into it. Notice how warm or cold it is when you touch your skin. Become aware of its softness and simply sit with it for a while.
If you feel strong emotions coming up, it's normal. However, listen to yourself and if you feel overwhelmed, simply stop and move on with your day. It may be too early to become aware of your body, your center, but you can always come back to it.
The more often you connect with your body in such a way, the more connected you'll feel and, believe me, it's not always going to feel as uncomfortable as it feels right now.
Another way of connecting with your body is to ground yourself by walking barefoot over grass.
It simple but super effective.
When you put one foot in front of the other, notice what you feel. How does the grass feel underneath your feet? Does it tickle your toes? Is it warm or cold? Wet or dry?
With every step, let go of your expectations and just be in the moment, simply feel.
This is a beautiful exercise that you can do whenever you feel stressed, detached or simply need a few moments to be with yourself.
The third way to truly feel your body is to activate all of your senses.
Make living in your body an experience by spoiling yourself with vanilla-scented body lotion, calming essential oils or natural bath gels.
When you take a bath, put lotion on your skin, breathe in the scent of lavender oil, repeat a few body-loving mantras to yourself. One of my favorites is: I am safe in my body. I am loved by my body. May my body be healthy, happy and free.
By attaching a positive note to your daily body-loving rituals, you begin to associate your body with comforting, delightful things, which strengthens your relationship with your body and helps to feel more at home in your skin.
What do you do to feel more connected to your body? What helps you when you feel negative and detached?
Share it with us.