Making a Decision from Your Body
THE BODY SPEAKS | 11.7.22
I have spoken recently to folx about making decisions from the body. And when I bring up the idea, I get a lot of quizzical looks… Don’t we make decisions from our brains?
Well, yes, we can and should in many circumstances be making choices using our prefrontal cortex. But, have you ever been in one of those “I don’t know what I want” places?
The next time you find yourself unsure of your next move, or unable to decide between a couple of options, try this…
Take some deep breaths, meditate for a bit, or do whatever practices you do to get present. And then drop into your body… feel where each part of your body is in space.
Then, bring your choices to your mind’s eye. Imagine you’ve made “choice A”… and then listen and feel your body. You might “hear” words come up… or you might notice sensations. Welcome them. Allow them to speak to you.
Repeat the process with “choice B.”
Notice if your decision just got a lot easier! Often times, when we say “I don’t know” that’s not actually the truth of it. Your body knows.
If you’ve been keeping up with my Suserrations newsletter and my Instagram, you’ve heard me talking about these Embodiment. But, you still might be wondering what Embodiment means… It’s slippery… Something you might be able to feel in your body, but can’t put words around. So, I offer you this quote from Peter Levine:
“To be embodied means that we are guided by our instincts, while simultaneously having the opportunity to be self-aware of that guidance. This self-awareness requires us to recognize and track our sensations and feelings. We unveil our instincts as they live within us, rather than being alienated from them or forcibly driven by them.”
The idea here is that we are in touch with our inner nature and our desires, intently listening to the body… and we also have control. It’s a balance… neither your body nor your brain is running the show, but your whole self. And in our current society, the value is placed on logic and the brain, woefully neglecting the body’s role. Let’s change that, shall we?
Embodiment isn’t exactly about quieting the thoughts in the head. It’s about bringing the intelligence of the mind into a relationship with the intelligence of the body.
How often are your mind and body working together? How often do they have shared purpose?
Embodiment isn’t about sitting in the head and paying attention to the part of you you think of as “body,” it’s about fully inhabiting the body and attuning to the world through its intelligence.
It’s about listening to the world through the body.
Want to learn more about how to drop into your body? How to make decisions from your body? How to be more present and loving towards yourself and others? Check out my workshop calendar or fill out my Client Interest Form today!