Stress and Anxiety walk hand in hand in the modern world. Our stress responses are the same as when we were primitive hunter gatherers. Our bodies act like a tiger is chasing us when the bills are due or the boss at work is being unreasonable. This is not to say the stress of modern life is not real or the anxiety we feel is not justified. On the contrary, it is slow and persistent. We feel we cannot escape. The physical threats our ancestors felt passed relatively quickly. Today's stresses linger and our body never gets to rest unless we choose to do something different. Listening to our bodies, gives us the chance to reset from present "threats" and the past experiences that still reside in our tissues and our emotional core. Modern life tends to teach us to shut out what we are feeling. Yet the wisdom of our bodies is what we feel.
When you are suffering from anxiety you may feel tremendous agitation in your chest or your belly. You may feel shortness of breath. Your arms and legs may feel weak and that you are going to collapse. You may find yourself walking in circles, no longer able to do simple tasks like dressing, eating, or caring for others. There is an overwhelming feeling that you cannot go on like this.
There are tons of good tips about meditating, eating well, sleeping well, and thinking good thoughts. Many of these strategies are great for changing the channel.
But, is looking in the other direction a good long term strategy?
Instead these dyer signals of your body are meant to make us stop, drop, and roll. Listen now, your body says! I'm not going to let you continue on in this way! Too often our anxiety has developed from us not listening and acknowledging a very important inner voice.
At this point, the amount of energy our body has built up in an attempt to get our attention can be overwhelming. Place your hands on your body where the sensation is the most intense. Notice the presence or absence of breath or movement under your hands. Say out loud, "I am overwhelmed". Then take one breath in and out and remove your hands and place them at your sides.
In these moments, it is most important to recognize the extreme urgency of the message your body is bringing to your attention. Only after acknowledging the guard at the door, will you gain access to the wisdom within. In this light you may be surprised how quickly your inner voice emerges.
How often do we use even healthy habits to tune out when really what is required is to listen to the message?
At Le Couer we offer resources that help you to find peace in whatever your body is experiencing. We help you make the mind body connection and the past present connection. When you have the ability to receive the energy and medicine of what is going on inside of you, you can grow and move forward. We would love for you to come in and experience the peace these tools can provide. In the mean time our caring encouragement is with you.