It can be very easy to not hear the messages that our bodies send to us each day, or to flat-out ignore the messages we do receive. When you’re on a mission to meet yourself where you’re at, things change.
Meeting yourself where you’re at requires some self-awareness, and for many, that was a skill that was never taught. Lucky for us, once we understand how this principle works, we can begin to implement it into our daily life experiences.
This week we’ll focus on meeting ourselves where we’re at as we move throughout our days. What that translates to is checking in often with how our bodies feel, what our mental state and health are, and how we feel emotionally. Once we identify where we’re truly at, then we can make any adjustments to bring ourselves closer to a more balanced state.
I find that if I do a quick check-in of my physical body before I’m beginning a new activity – be it getting ready to wash the dishes or to sit at my desk – I can go into the new activity with a clear understanding of how my body feels in that moment and make any adjustments from the get-go.
In the past, I’ve written several blog posts that can be used as guides to meeting yourself at in all sorts of ways:
If you notice you’re feeling overall tight, or maybe you have pain in many places of your body, you can give yourself some love by helping your fascia become happier. Check out this post with some suggestions.
You might find that seasonally you change. You might be crankier in the summertime or more sluggish in the early part of the year. One of the things I love about the science of Ayurveda is that it’s all about meeting yourself where you’re at. So, in addition to navigating seasonal shifts in energy, mood, or body sensations, you can make micro-adjustments daily to help with where you’re at.
If you’re feeling sluggish, unmotivated, or depressed, check out this previous post.
Feeling cranky and edgy? This post will give you some techniques to help cool your jets.
On the days that you feel scattered, dry (think skin and eyes), or that you’re easily distracted, this post will give you tips to feel more grounded.
I have a body that has a fair amount of pain each day due to my chronic health conditions. I hope that’s not the case for you, but I know I’m not a unicorn in this arena. On the days that your body is cranky, or your inflammation levels are high, check out this post with movements to help your body feel happier.
To say we all need to strengthen our immune system these days would be a total understatement. In this post, I share some ways you can use your movement practice to help you set your future self up for some healthier days while giving your present self some much-needed love and care.
Our emotional selves are just as important as our physical selves, and yet this area can be easy to ignore. However, I’ve found that if I continue to dismiss my emotions, one way or another they’ll make themselves known, and at that point it’s usually a pretty gnarly experience for all involved.
When you notice your emotions are starting to build (the earlier the better), try this EFT technique to help address and release your building emotional energy levels.
On the times when your feelings have grown quickly or you didn’t notice the warning signs that they were building, this post offers some techniques on how to safely and effectively release them.
Sometimes we can get out of whack because we do the same patterns over and over (and over and over…) again. When it comes to your physical body, check out this post that talks about ways to notice your patterns and how to mix it up to make helpful changes.
If you have physical conditions that make certain activities uncomfortable or even painful, there might be ways to modify those activites rather than ditching them altogether. For example, if your body gets cranky when you’re cooking or doing the dishes, this post can help with some modifications + position suggestions. Those principles can be used in when you’re brushing your teeth, doing laundry, and other activities that require you to stand for a bit, so keep them in mind when you do a body check-in as you’re doing your household chores.
If gardening and yardwork is something you do – whether it’s out of necessity or as a way of relaxing and reconnecting to yourself – your body position is an important thing to pay attention to. Check out this post for some tips and tricks to help keep yourself feeling good while you’re out in the fresh air.
Being a yoga teacher for 15 years, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard that people do yoga and stretching to help their backs feel better. In this post I share some common and simple movements that can help your spine and back muscles feel super good. And with these movements, there’s no need to wait until your back is upset. Do your versions first thing in the morning, maybe during a mid-day break, and then once more before bed. You’ll be astounded at how much better you feel.
In the past I’ve pushed through my body’s cues, ignoring the subtle and not so subtle messages I’ve received. Now that I know better, I try to do better. Because I deserve to have a wonderful life experience on all levels. And so do you. Meeting yourself where you’re at each day is a great way to show yourself some love and respect.