Month: March 2010

Fear and doubt stop us in our tracks.

We get queasy stomachs, feel anxious, and begin to think we can’t do what we dream of. We might tighten our shoulders and bring them up towards our heads. We might stop breathing fully so that only a small portion of our lungs are being used. We may want to sleep or cry or yell and hit some inanimate object. We feel disempowered. We are unhappy.

The point is that we can feel these emotions in our bodies. Even if we can’t quite pinpoint the emotion we are feeling, if we listen and pay attention to how our bodies feel, we receive clues to what our emotions are.

What happens if we center in our bodies and deliberately change the way it feels? If we consciously lower our shoulders and lift our heads up at the same time? If we consciously take bigger breaths and feel our bellys moving as we draw in a deep breath. If we drop our chins to our chests and suddenly notice that we are stretching out the back of our necks? If we unclench our jaws?

Our bodies relax a bit. Our focus changes. We step back from what is bothering us. Maybe things aren’t quite so bad after all. Doubt recedes a bit. Fear lessens.

Fear and doubt can be reminders to stop the vicious circle. Reminders to breathe.  Reminders to get into your body.

Let your body help you to achieve another perspective.

© 2010 by Sheila Peters. All rights reserved.

Sometimes, particularly when you least expect it, the Universe gives you a big kick! You can either view it as a negative blow or as an opportunity to jump forward. No matter what, the Universe’s kick is going to make you move. Movement is what life is all about.

We might think that we can stand still and resist change but in that moment of resistance we are still making a move. We make the move to go against the tide and it takes effort to stand against the flow of water that tries to take us to a new shore. Hard work to maintain the status quo!

Why not take the leap and move into the unfamiliar? We are taking what we should know best with us: our bodies, our brains, our emotions, our spirit.

Sometimes we don’t completely know ourselves or are only aware of parts of ourselves. For most people, we are least aware of our bodies.

Our bodies hold memories from our childhood when we dreamed that anything was possible. When the Universe pushes us to make a change, our bodies can help us to know in what direction to jump. Becoming aware of how our bodies feel helps us to make the best choices.

Get grounded and go within to find the answers to your questions. Be in your body!

As Martha Graham, a pioneer of modern dance, once said, “Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul’s weather”.

© 2010 by Sheila Peters. All rights reserved.