June 2009 - Sensual Being, Logic Be Gone!
"Apply Logic Here for Best Results" is NOT a magic cure. Have you ever tried it? To avoid experiencing your feelings, you attempt to out-think them? I am a logic master; I know this one.
Many years ago, I attended a workshop lead by April Prita Manganiello. I was on the cusp of truly getting in touch with some very tender feelings about my mom, but I just couldn't access them. I kept trying to think it through, using my linear brain to understand my experience, and was stuck! My clever mind, that had always come through - stymied. To support me, Prita sat behind me, and simply asked, "What's happening in your body, sweetie?" My automatic response was, "What body?"
My fear was so big, I had completely insulated myself in logical protection, not allowing own feelings; not just emotional feelings, but physical feelings. My brain had a blind spot. This was my first experiential clue that the mind and body are not separate.
I think we all get it at some level. Based on positive feedback from the "Love the Water" issue, you know your thoughts are powerful. Sometimes that ache in your back isn't from weeding, it's indicative of some negative thought or emotion held there. I've learned, when I allow myself to feel the emotional feeling, the physical pain usually releases. A win-win.
Why not simply allow the feelings? It's not always as easy as it sounds, because we weren't always adults. When we were little, the feelings really were overwhelming, so we learned to protect ourselves from them. And we don't always know to update the learning. If, right about now the emotional feelings seem a little too woo-woo for you, begin with the physical ones. The fact is, as long as we are in these vulnerable bodies, we are sensual beings; we are designed to feel. Bring awareness to your body.
As I write this, I feel the wind whipping through the windows, catching my hair, blowing it wildly across my face. I feel the cool, hard plastic under my fingertips as I'm typing. On my right shoulder, the warmth of the sun seeps into my shirt and through to my skin. I feel the grain of my wood desk under my right forearm, and the heat of my padded office chair, which has been supporting me all day. I am here, alive, and present in my body. Just like the kids in the photo above, tuned in to their senses.
"What's happening in your body, sweetie?"
Joanne Lutz
Coaching~Consulting~Referral Resource
Founder of The Consciousness Collaborative
Joanne@TheCCsite.com ~ ph. 617-827-0803 ~ fax 781-777-1899
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