Journey Into The Body

One of the practices I learned when I was first introduced to mindfulness was Mindfulness of the Body. The practice involved noticing sensations in the body and acknowledging their existence by naming them. Mindfulness of the breath was another practice where I learned to feel the breath as it enters and leaves the body. During a silent sit, these can be used as the anchor of our attention.

I am cultivating another relationship with Mindfulness of the Body by having completed both the Compassionate Inquiry Professional Online Training Program and the Compassionate Inquiry Mentorship Program. It’s given me many opportunities to be more aware of the sensations in my body and the emotion(s) underlying each sensation.

Compassionate Inquiry is a somatic approach to connecting back to our true essence with the knowledge that trauma is what gets in the way. This approach was developed by Dr Gabor Maté. He defines trauma as:

1. The psychological wound that is created from the event and is not the event itself.
2. Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside of you.
3. Trauma is the cause of disconnection from your true self.

I believe most if not all of us carry this trauma. The trauma began when one of our caregivers did not see who we truly were or understand us when we were a child. The good news is it doesn’t matter what happened to us, but what happens inside of us. When we become aware of what is happening inside – sensations and emotions, we can usually trace back to an implicit memory of what happened. The journey of getting in touch with our true self is having space to feel what we couldn’t feel when we were a young child. Because back then, most of us gave up authenticity for attachment. We had to as a young child to survive, but as an adult we have a choice.

There are many pathways back to the body. Dance, yoga, tai chi, qigong – moving the body in a way that is nourishing. Asking your body what it needs in this moment and then giving yourself what your body needs. Having someone hold space for you to feel what you could not feel as a young child. Identifying the needs that were not met and then finding a way to meet those needs. This is all part of the self-compassion journey.