Fireside Chat: #FMC24 Speaker, Danielle Anderson | The Power of Listening to Your Body

If your body could talk, what story would it tell?

This is a common question I explore with my clients. As a speaker, wellness coach, birth doula and embodiment practitioner I love to talk about the wisdom of the body, and how we can work with it to improve our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. I often marvel that we've been designed as embodied beings, though I often feel our Western culture doesn't celebrate it. We live in a very cognitive, thinking-based culture. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of mindset work and often nerd out on the newest research coming out of neuroscience. As we know, mindset work affects the brain, and the brain is a part of the body. And I'm convinced that the body is where healing happens. So, if you're on any kind of healing or growth journey, I implore you, don't forget your body - listen to your body.

Now, I recognize that can sometimes be easier said than done. What does it even mean?

It's an encouragement to live embodied - to really live in and pay attention to your body and the signals it's sending. And I'm not just referring to the "body language" used when you're communicating with others. You may be familiar with the idea that we communicate with body language and tone of voice more than with words. Yes, your body is communicating to others, but what I'm mainly referring to is your body speaking to you. It's an encouragement to, if I can borrow a common phrase I say to laboring moms, "get out of your head and into your body."

Wondering how to begin? Just start to pay attention, to notice. If you have lived disconnected from your body for a long period of time, this will be a work worth investing in. I often like to think of my body as a friend, and it's a good habit to check-in with her often. You could begin with picking a certain time of day and notice the subtle cues your body is offering. For example, you could take a moment of pause and just notice how your body feels at the end of your work day. Do you feel any muscle tension, jaw tightness, hunger or thirst? This acknowledgement is the first response. "I hear you, body."

As you grow in this practice, you'll grow in your responses. You'll move from acknowledgement to action. For example, rather than just noticing your body is thirsty, you can give it something to drink. Doing this work will allow you to learn about your present - what things bring you joy or stress, make you feel nervous or calm. It will help you learn about your past - memories or past feelings may resurface. It will help you learn how the past is impacting your present. And the beautiful thing about the body is that it's wise - it can learn new things. Which means…

...By doing this work you can change how the past impacts your present - and your future.

That is growth. That is healing. Not only does this practice of listening to your body support you in your own healing journey, it enables you to be an agent of healing in your circle of influence. This has implications personally, professionally, and beyond. Now that's a beautiful thing.

So, listen up, your body has something to say.
You can follow Danielle Anderson at https://www.instagram.com/danielle.l.anderson/.