Take a moment and without any effort to control your breathing, just become aware of the physical sensations of the air moving in and out of your nostrils as you breathe. Be sure to consciously relax your jaw and tongue.
If you accepted the above invitation, then you have already shifted and changed. Whether you are a practitioner of meditation, self-hypnosis, contemplation or mindfulness, you have learned that the starting point is with your body. As human beings, our awareness is enfleshed within our bodies. And because the body and mind are connected, intertwined, braided, married with one another, they are distinct but not separate entry points into our selves. The MetaWisdom of the ages is that most spiritual traditions encourage you to start with your body in order to shift and transform your mind. As I often say in response to such enduring wisdom, that is worth paying attention to.
As we become aware of our bodies and intentionally relax them, we discover that we can do the same with our minds. While we are focusing on our body, we have invited our mind to shift with us to that awareness. Now that we have everyone’s attention, body and mind, let’s continue the change process as we focus on what we desire to shift. Ladies and gentlemen, body and mind, thank you for your attention as I now direct/shift your attention to – fill in the blank.
The language of change will say that we “act our way into a new way of being” and that we “act our way into a new way of thinking”. In the spirit of the AA movement, it is the wisdom of “faking it till you make it”. This is as true for individuals as it is for organizations. How do you want to act your way into a new way of thinking? What physical activity will be your starting point?
For myself, I have always found that physical discipline around activity and exercise has been foundational to me. It grounds me. And at the same time it is aspirational. If I can break through physical barriers, any other perceived barriers seem less daunting. Setting and attaining new physical goals is a concrete way to remind me that any perceived obstacle is a challenge to change. How about you?