My kids were telling me last night how strange they think it is that one of the main things I do is help people learn how to relax and meanwhile I’m one of the most tightly wound people they know!

Well, DUH. Why on earth would I pour so much energy into sussing out what really and truly helps us feel less torqued-up if I didn’t need that information so badly myself. That’s just the way the universe works. Like the saying goes; “necessity is the mother of invention,” and as my children can attest, in my case this info is necessary.

Take yesterday morning for example. My oldest daughter Tabby, was packing a sandwich for lunch and she dropped a little piece of lettuce on the floor. As my eyes fixed on the offending wisp, I felt my whole body stiffen just a little. 

“Tabby, you dropped a piece of lettuce.” My wide eyes imploring her to snatch it up now, now, now.

An evil smile crept across her lips and her eyes narrowed, she was going to play with me and I knew it.

“Yes Maja, I did,” she purred. Don’t ask me where “maja” comes from, all I know is that’s what she calls me.

“You are going to pick it up, right?” I laughed nervously.

“Yes Maja, I probably will in a minute…”

“My heart is starting to pound a little, Tab. Isn’t that silly?” I was laughing at myself, she was laughing at myself, I could definitely see how absurd the situations was. And, my heart was still pounding over that little piece of lettuce on the floor.

When she thought I might be on the verge of tears (I don’t think so) she finally bent over, picked it up and deposited it in my waiting hands which quickly carried it safely to the trash can.

I know you will all be glad to hear that my heart rate quickly returned to normal. 

I am telling you this story for a reason and here it is. By learning to be as aware of the sensations in my body as I am of the thoughts that go through my mind, I was able to observe my reaction rather than be swept away by it. This is key so I’ll say it again; “…I was able to observe my reaction rather than be swept away by it.”

Before BodiesSpeak I would have just gotten irritated and snapped something at her about picking up her mess. There wouldn’t have been any shared laughter or shared understanding about the trying places in my personality. This work doesn’t change who we are fundamentally, nothing short of heavy meds or a lobotomy does.

This work simply allows us the grace of experiencing exactly who we are in a much fuller way and that in turn, grants us the ease and wisdom we need to deal with ourselves with sanity and kindness. This shift in perception toward the body and away from the mind, leads to a richer and more satisfying experience of our own lives.

And there is nothing simple about that.