We’ve all gone for a drive or walk and suddenly noticed we’re near our destination but have missed part of the journey because we were off in thought. When we perceive the world, our mind interprets what comes in through the senses and overlays raw reality. We can end up hovering over what we experience, without fully connecting with it and possibly missing what’s happening in the moment altogether. Also, when our attention is distracted by automatic thoughts, we can sometimes even forget that we have a body at all!
Unlike our mind, which can wander off in thoughts about the past and future, our body is only ever in the present moment. So, building body awareness is an important foundation of mindfulness as it connects us right into the present moment.
In the West, we tend to notice our bodies when we’re ill, feel pain or tension – or occasionally feel the effects of exercise. As consumers we tend to be more concerned about our body image; how we look from the outside, and much less about what’s going on inside. The way the body works, even in a rudimentary way, is amazingly complex and sophisticated. It’s also something many of us take for granted. For instance, some wonderful self-sustaining and interconnected systems transfer energy from our environment into our bodies – like the respiratory, circulatory, and digestive systems; all working for us without conscious effort.
Although you may be grateful for what’s in front of you when you eat, when was the last time you expressed gratitude for your digestive system? Then there are the skeletal and muscular systems that provide form and movement, moving your body for you, which in your mind is something “you do”. When you next reach for a cup of coffee or tea, stand back and appreciate the subtle learned movements; how your hand turns and fingers automatically grasp the handle. At one level it sounds mundane, but when you look with awareness, you’re experiencing an amazing achievement of evolution.
There are some interesting links between body awareness and mental, and physical health. Basic body awareness therapy (BBAT) was developed in the 1970s in Scandinavia to promote health and well-being in physiotherapy. BBAT takes a holistic approach to improving conscious awareness of the body as it moves. Research on this therapy demonstrates improved contact with an embodied sense of self, as well as mental and emotional stability and balance. Research subjects were better able to relax, accept themselves, and improve how they relate to others. Similar to yoga and tai chi, mindfulness also focuses on awareness of the body. Being mindful when walking is a good informal practice, noticing your body, connecting with your senses, and acknowledging passing thoughts, without engaging with them. When you walk mindfully like this, it’s easier to appreciate how your body walks for you, which is an interesting insight. If you take regular exercise, whether this is in the gym, running, cycling, or yoga, bringing mindful awareness to body movement makes a real difference to the quality of the experience.
When we practise mindfulness of the body, we leave aside all the thoughts, views, judgments, or concepts about our body. What’s important is our direct experience or felt sense of the actual physical sensations of the body.
When we are expressing gratitude, we’re appreciating what’s already here in this moment; what we already have, but so easily take for granted. Recent research shows that expressing gratitude is positively correlated with increased happiness and well-being, as well as mental and physical health. Feeling gratitude for our body is a natural response to being more aware of our body. After all, our body is the one thing that’s always with us throughout our lives – it’s the reason we’re alive and we are completely dependent on it.
Improving awareness and feeling gratitude for our body changes the relationship we have with it. We’re also more likely to treat our body well with regular exercise and a healthier diet. Body awareness and gratitude can transform a limited view of our body, into one where we fully appreciate how amazing and wonderful our body is; realizing how fortunate we are to be alive.
Suggested weekly practice
- Connect with your body as soon as you wake up and spend a few moments appreciating and feeling gratitude for your body.
- Include some mindful walking during the day, watching out for getting caught up in automatic thoughts, and taking your attention out to your body and senses.
- If you find yourself in a negative mood, try using the awareness, appreciation, and gratitude of your body and senses, noticing the energy and aliveness, and see if that improves your mood.
Guided practice
Find somewhere undisturbed and sit in a comfortable, dignified, and upright posture, where you can remain alert and aware. There are two guided practices for this session. You can close your eyes or lower your gaze while the meditations play.
- Play the settling practice, then read through the session content, which you can print off if that helps.
- Then play the second practice to explore your body with awareness, wonder, and gratitude.
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