What if you want to get a felt sense and you can only feel your body’s reaction to your stressful thoughts? Read on…
Jo writes:
Sometimes when I start ruminating in bed and cannot sleep, I try to sense my body. But I only get the effects of my rumination. Acid in my stomach, cramp in my joints, a heavy heat in my head.
How can I get past the effects of my rumination and get into the body feel of how my life is going?
Dear Jo:
Your body is always ready to tell you about your life. But if you ignore what it is telling you, then it’s not likely to tell you anything else.
I know you don’t mean to dismiss and ignore your body’s messages — but in effect that is what you are doing when you want to “get past” what you are feeling, and feel something else instead.
We need to start with what is here.
Today I was reminded of a wise quote from Gene Gendlin. He wrote:
“We cannot usually get people to shift their attention if we ignore what their attention is focused on.”
In other words, if you want someone to change, first hear how they are now.
The same is true inside us. If you want to feel something other than what you are feeling, first really acknowledge and receive what you are feeling.
And the thing is, you don’t know that those feelings — your acid stomach, the cramp in your joints, the heavy heat in your head — you don’t know they aren’t important. You don’t yet know at all what gifts they have for you… until you pause and acknowledge that this is what’s here right now.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been surprised, when a body feeling that I thought was “nothing” or “I already know what that is” had something really important to show me.
Radical acceptance of everything is the motto. Even something that seems trivial needs to be included and welcomed. And then you’ll find out what’s next!
