This week a brand new client said to me…
“I’ve been brainwashed!
- I know the calories in every food
- I know the fat grams in an avocado
- I know to watch for fibre in relation to fat.
But I don’t know what works for MY body!
I don’t know how to listen to my own body’s intelligence and wisdom!”
She is NOT alone.
So many of us have been brainwashed and filled with nutritional facts – some of which aren’t even true!
We’ve been encouraged to distrust our body, eat by the rules (which are always changing) and stop listening to the cues our body sends our regularly (i.e. I need to pee, I’m hungry, I’m tired)
It’s time to turn your gaze back towards YOU.
It’s time to…
- SHIFT TO BODY WISDOM!
- START BODY LISTENING!
- BECOME BODY ATTUNED!
Because truly, your body is wise. She knows what’s she’s talking about. She has the answers to:
- “What should I eat?”
- “What makes me feel energetic or lethargic?”
- “What would truly nourish me right now?”
She’s brilliant!
So….how do you develop body wisdom? How do you start listening to your body?
It takes practice, but it’s not hard.
Here are 5 simple steps that will help you listen deeply to your body, and tune you in to your own body wisdom
Create a body-honoring mindset
That means that you’re coming to your body with the attitude that it has something valuable to say. It’s not your servant doing your bidding, but a partner in all that you do. Approaching your body with honor and respect – like a wonderful wise friend – will open the door to having a positive relationship with your body.
Breathe Consciously
There’s nothing like paying close attention to your breath as a way to turn your awareness inward. It’s important to tune in to our body – reorienting ourselves to our own, inner world – rather than staying locked exclusively into an outwardly oriented consciousness. Whether you turn your attention to your breath during exercise or in meditation – during a meal or even sitting at a red light – taking a moment to keenly focus on breathing connects you to sensation, that’s your body’s language.
Pay attention to sensation.
All those dull aches, sharp pains, zany gurgles and waves of pleasure are exactly how your body talks. Each everyday run-of-the-mill body sensation is the constant whispering of your body. If the body came with an instruction booklet, sensation would be it.
Make space
Some of those sensations you start tuning in to will be uncomfortable, and it’s tempting to tune right back out. It’s human nature to move away from discomfort. However, to really be a body whisperer, you have to allow your body sensations to be felt fully. When you make space for your internal experience, then you can access the intelligence of your body’s whispers.
Listen for the wisdom in the sensations
Within the sensations of our body is wisdom – meaning – a message of what we need or feel. All of us have access to that wisdom in different ways. Some of us experience our ‘knowing’ as images. Some perceive words, and for others, when they listen into their sensations, they experience an emotion. The way your body speaks is uniquely yours, but for sure: it’s speaking. Just ask it what it wants to tell you, and then wait for the answer. It will come.
It’s really worth taking the time to listen to your body, she’s your most powerful ally.
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Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life! She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com
She helps busy women look and feel their best. She specializes in working with women over 40 who have tried other diets and approaches but are still struggling with their body and food. She helps women step into a new wellness paradigm that makes it real and do-able and makes self-care a sustainable healthy habit.
She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
To get your F.R.E.E. Video Series “What to do now, when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked” by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.
Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.
She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.
Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.
Start your Body-Peace® journey with this free masterclass that will help you understand and shift your relationship with your body.
