Mind and Body Connection Through Movement
Our bodies may be made up of many different working systems, but it is all wrapped up in one package. Finding ways to get the body to a place of harmony doesn’t just happen, it takes work. No, not the work you may be thinking about. The work it takes to be at a harmonious place with your body occurs when we start listening to what our bodies need. In day-to-day life there are many stressors, and people are constantly being pushed to their limits. This can cause a lot of stress and anxiety and can lead to a disconnect from our body. This disconnect is something I am sure most of us have felt before, luckily, there are ways for us to reconnect with our bodies and it starts with listening to what our bodies need.
How do we learn how to listen to our bodies?
The mind body connection refers to how our beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect how healthy our bodies are, mentally and physically. Connections with the body can be achieved though movement such as yoga, meditation, taking walks, kayaking, and dancing. When you move your body intuitively by having fun being free, you’re creating new pathways in the brain, this increases the release of endorphins and the flow of blood and oxygen to every part of yourself. All types of movement can allow us to connect to our bodies, but the most important component of connecting is listening to what our body needs. Some questions to ask ourselves are how our body feels, are we pushing ourselves too hard, what are we feeling in these moments, how are we connected to our bodies?
Once we start thinking about the ways movement is connecting us to our thoughts, feelings, and bodies, we can start to use these feelings in other aspects of health. Once you start connecting and understanding the way your body feels when it is satisfied, in times of stress, and when it has needs, we can start tending to our needs better. This carries over to the way we nourish our bodies as well. Listening to hunger and satiety cues can lead to a more intuitive dietary pattern, reiterating that all parts of our body are connected.
Bottom line, mindfulness and listening to what our bodies needs are leads us down a path that tailors more towards what feels right for you. This helps to stray away from the black and white and narrow-minded thinking and allows individuals to tend to their needs which leads to more self-satisfaction. Finding harmony and peace from day-to-day and learning how to manage stressors starts with finding a mind and body connection through movement.