Analytical. Intellectual. Rational.
None of these words would be unwelcome in a job interview or on a performance review. We love thinkers.
But living in your head is like inhabiting a 3-story house and never leaving the attic. I know because this was me for a very, very long time.
On the StrengthsFinder assessment, 4 of my top 5 scores fell in the Strategic Thinking category. I had a lot of knowledge, but not a lot of knowing. I regularly overrode signals from my body that something was off. My body was merely the vessel that walked my brain around — the packaging, not the substance. Or so I thought.
Enter Reiki
Going to my first Reiki session 8 years ago changed everything. I became aware of the sensation of energy moving through my body — like warm vanilla pudding with some Pop Rocks sprinkled in. My practitioner knew what I was silently thinking while on his table. I began to dream more often. I realized that my body was a brilliant creative partner for my mind. Symptoms, yearnings, sensations — they all were messages.
Now that I’m on the path towards becoming a Reiki Master myself, I realize the relationship between meditation, intuition and creativity. It’s like a FastPass to your own personal Disneyland. A few months ago, I woke up with the title of a poem perfectly clear in my head. Then I wrote the poem in one sitting, even before my dog’s morning walk.
Enter Coaching
In addition to my Reiki training, I’m in the final couple of months towards becoming a certified coach. And I have loved how much emphasis my coaching program gives to body wisdom. The Body Compass is a tool that brings awareness to where in the body a client may be holding stress or fear or even excitement. Many clients, like old-me, are used to thinking instead of feeling. So I guide them through a simple exercise which I invite you to try. Ready?
Get comfortable in a chair or lying down. Close your eyes. Uncross your feet.
Call to mind a memory that is troubling. Maybe getting fired. Or a fight with a friend. Something that won’t catapult you into terribly dark emotions, but something that will certainly bring up feelings. With your eyes still closed, remember as many details of this time/event as you can. Now notice where in your body you feel a shift. Scan your body, from toes to head. Your face may get hot. Your throat may tighten. Pay attention to where your emotions present. Breathe through it all.
After you’ve catalogued your body’s feedback, take a few more breaths and reset. Now call to mind a positive memory. An epic vacation. The day you adopted your first dog. Now see where in your body you sense a shift. It will likely be a different set of sensations than from the negative memory.
Open your eyes and write down everything you remember. This is your Body Compass. It’s a way to map when your body is responding to negative or positive stimuli. The more attuned you get to your body’s own broadcast system, the more you can be in response to what you’re feeling, instead of just what you’re thinking. It’s like tuning into an entirely new frequency, new harmonizers, new provocations. And it’s catnip for creativity. My goal is to help as many neck-up people as possible take up residence in the entire home of their selves.
Until next time, remember that culture is the new creativity.
I can so totally relate to ”neck-up living” - so much that I went straight from reading this newsletter to booking my first ever Reiki session - tomorrow!!