Posted in January 2025

There’s no shortcut or “magic pill” to embodying awareness. The beauty of it is in the practice itself, the ongoing relationship you build with your body through consistent attention and care. What makes this so powerful is that the process is the transformation. Here are a few more points to deepen your practice of connecting with and listening to your body:

1. Approach with Curiosity, Not Judgment

• Treat your body as a friend or partner you’re getting to know, rather than a problem to fix or a tool to optimize. When sensations arise—like tension, discomfort, or even ease—be curious about them. Ask yourself:

• What is this sensation trying to tell me?

• What would happen if I just sat with this?

This mindset makes the practice lighter, more exploratory, and less about achieving a specific result.

2. Slow Down

• Slowing down creates space to feel the body. You can do this in small ways:

• Eat a meal more slowly, savoring the taste and noticing how your body feels as you eat.

• Walk slowly, observing how each step feels from your feet to your spine.

• Take a few extra seconds when transitioning between activities to breathe and notice how you feel.

3. Use Micro-Moments of Awareness

• You don’t need an hour-long session to connect with your body. Throughout your day, pause for even 10 seconds to:

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath.

• Scan your body for tension or ease.

• Stretch or move intuitively for just a moment.

These micro-moments add up and build a habit of awareness.

4. Engage All Your Senses

• The body thrives on sensory input. Take time to engage your senses intentionally:

• Smell: Light a candle or incense, noticing how it shifts your state.

• Touch: Run your fingers over different textures, or use a grounding technique like holding a warm cup of tea.

• Sound: Play music that resonates with your mood, or sit in silence and listen to your surroundings.

This sensory awareness brings you into the present and anchors you in your body.

5. Dialogue with the Body

• As strange as it sounds, have a conversation with your body. For example:

• When you feel discomfort, ask it: What do you need? What are you trying to tell me?

• When you feel strong or calm, thank your body: I appreciate how you carry me through the day.

This helps shift your relationship with your body from one of control to one of partnership.

6. Move to Feel, Not to Achieve

• Exercise is often framed as something you do for external results (strength, weight loss, etc.), but when you move just to feel—stretching, flowing, or dancing—you unlock a deeper connection to your body.

• Dance to music without choreography.

• Try a somatic practice with the intention of feeling rather than doing. Try and not count your reps when working out, but become aware of how your body feels and how your mind responds (sometimes the mind says, ‘’stop,’’ but being in tune with the body you might notice the body say, ‘’we can handle more.’’)

7. Integrate Gratitude for the Body

• The body works tirelessly to sustain you, even when it’s tired, sick, or healing. Gratitude deepens your connection and shifts focus from what the body “should” be to what it is.

• At the end of the day, thank your body for one thing it did (e.g., thank you for helping me walk, for healing that soreness).

8. Track the Subtle Shifts

• Start noticing how your body responds to awareness:

• Does tension release when you breathe into it?

• Do emotions surface after movement?

• Does your body feel lighter or more grounded after a moment of connection?

9. Be Patient and Compassionate

• Building a relationship with your body, just like with any other relationship, takes time, especially if you’ve spent years disconnected or critical of it. Celebrate even the smallest moments of awareness.

What’s most important is consistency and openness to the process. Each time you pause to notice or feel your body, you’re strengthening the connection.