CATALYST NEWS
Eva Dahm, CPCC, MA
October, 2002
DEDICATED TO YOUR GROWTH AND EXPLORATION
WONDERING: How do birds spread the word about
the best place to get seed in the winter?
YOUR BODY
Whether or not you think you are a human who
is living a spiritual experience or a spirit living
a human life, right now you and I exist in a body.
How do you view your body?
Some of us dislike our bodies and send messages
of disapproval to ourselves. Most of us dislike
one or more parts of our bodies. I never will
forget a business dinner with two other women
when they decided to list the areas of their physical
selves they hated the most. And they each had
a long list of areas they hated. These negative
messages we hear in our heads may be the words
we heard from another not-so-kind person in our
past. Is it time to let go of these words?
Many of us ignore our bodies until a splitting
headache or overpowering hunger or urge to visit
the restroom reminds us we are human. Ram Dass
says "Because I'd spent my adult life concentrating
on the realms of the spirit,…I distanced
myself from my body. I saw my body as merely a
vehicle for the soul. …the lack of love I'd
shown toward my body contributed to my stroke."
When we notice the multitude of tasks our bodies
perform for us, we can offer appreciation to:
our hands for all their intricate abilities, our
legs and feet for carrying us, our hearts for
pumping blood and our complex system of organs
for automatically functioning. I recently injured
a big toe doing yoga and now realize how much
of balance is due to big toes. Try standing on
one foot and see how active your big toe is.
So right now, we can choose whether to dislike,
ignore or appreciate our bodies. Which would create
better feelings in your body? Ram Dass says, "Now
I'm learning to take my healing into my own hands.
Healing is not the same as curing, after all;
healing does not mean going back to the way things
were before, but rather allowing what is now to
move us closer to God."
A related question is how do you care for your
body?
Do you absentmindedly run through your morning
and evening routines? Do you never quite get to
the dental flossing you intended to make a nightly
practice?
What decisions might you make about your bedtime,
your meals, and your exercise or quiet time, if
you were really caring for your body? I had always
maintained that eating more than a couple of fruits
and veggies was impossible. Now I've made a real
effort to have several fruits and 5-6 veggies
each day and found it totally possible. You would
take special care preparing a meal for a loved
one, why not for yourself?
Caring for your body shows the acceptance and
appreciation you have for who you are-body, mind
and spirit. And you are worth taking the time
to enjoy extreme self-care!
Finally, how do you use your body?
Do you sit by the computer all day-fearful you'll
miss an email? A friend told me recently that
he has to take frequent walks because he can't
just sit and stare at the screen. I write this
newsletter by hand so I can be sitting comfortably
near a window.
Do you stop during the day to take a deep breath
and slow down your restless mind? Using your breath
as a focal point can slow your racing thoughts
and actually improve your health. Scientists have
proven that the immune system works more effectively
when your system slows with deep steady breathing.
For the past year, I've worked with a coaching
model that relies on the insights from being aware
of our body's sensations. The idea is to get very
tuned in to your body when you are overreacting
so you can use the body sensations-tightness or
warmth or tingling as clues to stop, breath and
choose a different reaction in future situations.
This is a very effective way to monitor your
emotions and behaviors and to make changes. And
it's simple since you have all the tools with
you always-your body. (But it's not EASY.)
Take a moment now to notice any particular area
in your body that draws your attention. What are
the sensations there? What intelligence is your
body giving you? Did part of this newsletter create
a particular reaction? What might that mean?
If you want to experience this body-mind coaching,
contact me.
Love and light, eva
Coach Catalyst
630-369-9824
evadahm@coachcatalyst.com
www.coachcatalyst.com
Still Here, Ram Dass, 2000, Riverhead Books.
Pathways to a Radiant Self, 2002, Kathy Pike,
creator of Body Mind Coaching.
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