“The more we explore our internal landscape, the more we come to crave that sense of full aliveness.”
“ The energy that allows the alchemy of deep transformation to occur is love.”
I love this book and am so glad that it found its way onto my bookshelf! I so appreciate the support for slowing down, tuning in/noticing, and choosing what is most life-giving. The encouragement feels particularly essential since it goes against the stream of our culture to slow down and feel. (“The invisible mandate to work hard can give us a sense of completion and competence, but it doesn’t do much for our ability to simply be present in each moment.”)
I have noticed more and more subtle shifts in my energy and feel that the support of the book helps me to really follow my body’s messages (ie. taking a 5 minute nap, going to bed early, eating or not eating). The guidance of the five principles: trust, feel, integrate, expand, choose is useful for me and I have it visually represented in my home so I am reminded to consult and contemplate them. I have noticed times when feeling or having clarity about what is going on inside myself feels challenging and have been able to make adjustments to my choices as a result of my body’s feedback.
Sometimes it is hard for me to do the exploration exercises while sitting in a chair- sometimes my body wants/needs more surface area for feedback. I have done it lying down with my knees bent and I have tried starting the exercises sitting and then moving to the floor, changing positions so my body can get feedback from the floor/earth. It helps if I have contact with the specific body part of focus.
In daily life I am noticing when I am offering myself outside feedback to help ricochet my attention back inside- holding a cup, feeling my feet on the floor, placing my hands on my hips, pressing my fingernails, rubbing the tops of my feet together. Doing the exercises has made me more curious about this and interested in my specific need for sensory feedback- when it is necessary and when it is not.
Some quotes I particularly resonate with:
“Our bodies are the containers for our spirits. They are incredible navigational systems that inform us constantly, from our gut instincts to our heart’s deepest yearnings. But take a quick look around you, and you won’t see acknowledgment of this truth. We are taught to ignore our gut instincts and to be polite instead. We are taught to ignore physical hunger and to strive to be stick thin if we are women. We are rewarded for overworking, often at the expense of our health- raising our stress levels even more. We are taught to live in our heads and to ignore the body’s wisdom.”
“When we don’t trust our internal awareness, we neglect our sensory awareness and create a sense of separation from our world, which is reinforced as we continue to ignore our inner world.”
“Depending on our innate temperament and the level of repression to which we were subjected, we behave according to our own unique adaptations and defenses.”
“When one trusts and envisions support, the support has a much higher probability of being recognized when it shows up.”
“Fear and anxiety distract us from the healthy resources and possibilities that might otherwise assist us.”
“By creating channels for nurturing touch in our present-day lives we can establish the neural pathways of healthy resilience that we missed when we were younger.”
“It is easier to maintain healthy boundaries when you have a nourishing flow of energy throughout your body, your container.”
“An innate integrity beyond external rules and morality comes into play when we make decisions and create in our world from a more fully integrated self.”
“The key to integration boils down to exploring all your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs with curiosity, and to having the courage to let every part of your internal landscape inform you of its wisdom.”
“It is important to remember to nourish and nurture yourself, no matter what the situation.”
“As I establish a full container, my presence gets bigger and life feels easier.”
“ The truth is that wherever we are on the path, we all have resistance to whatever our next step is.”
“Although the process cannot be rushed, when the moment is right, integration can take place in an instant.”
Principles I am examining and incorporating:
Recognizing how using my mind as an ally, instead of a critic, expands my capabilities
Learning to choose moment to moment what is most life-giving- moving away from exhaustion & overwhelm
The five principles of full body presence:
Trust the existence of life energy
Feel the presence of this life energy in your body
Integrate this life energy throughout your entire system
Expand your perceptual lense
Choose nourishing resources moment to moment
Compare density, weight, and color qualities in different areas of your body.
Stop—- Tune In—- Ground—–Fill
Relaxing more fully in my own body while maintaining connection.