Doing the Reps that Build BQ Muscle
Then there was “light.” Light dispels the darkness. It brings warmth, a brightness, a wisdom and a sense of knowing that you are in a space that is nurturing and good for you. Resilient Light, by my own definition, is the ability to adapt well to adversity or trauma, through embracing my vulnerability and allowing the light in to dispel any darkness that may seem all-consuming. So now we continue embracing Body Intelligence (light bulbs on please) and look at how we can enhance our own.
3 Practices to enhance Body Intelligence
1. Take a few moments throughout the day to do a body scan. Personally, these scans have become a wonderful way for me to check in with my body. These really don’t have to be 30 minutes long and there are great resources online to aid you as you start off. To start off, preferably twice a day, take a few minutes and centre your awareness on the top of your head, feeling the sensations there. Move along your entire body to the tips of your fingers and toes. Just sense into any niggles you may feel, discomfort or everywhere it feels really good in your body. When I started with this I was amazed at how quickly I started feeling when something is “off” in my body. You may or may not feel any sensations...feel without judgement and simply accept what is.
2. Meditate. I love meditating during my prayer time. Have you realised how challenging it is to just be still (and by this I mean not being consumed by our thoughts). Typically, we identify with our thoughts. One of my favourite teachers, Eckart Tolle gives this bit of advice for beginners, which I still practice because it’s simple and effective.
○ Remove random thoughts by visually centering your attention on the things that you can physically see around you.
○ Be aware of your breath and listen to your heartbeat. “Being aware of your breath, forces you into the present moment - the key to all inner transformation.” Eckart Tolle
○ Focus your attention on each one of your senses. What can you see, touch, taste, hear and smell?
○ Thereafter allow yourself to simply be in stillness and every time you get distracted, just come back to centering your attention on your breath.
I have found that getting into stillness for just a few minutes clears my mind and I quite literally take a break from my all-consuming thoughts. Once this is done, the intuition that we have been gifted comes to the forefront. How powerful. You start hearing that voice a lot clearer.
3. Ok let’s take a moment for a writer’s favourite thing to do: JOURNALING. You would be amazed at how getting your thoughts on paper helps you process whatever it is you’re dealing with. For years and years I stopped journaling. When I started again, I asked myself, “Sis, what in the heck were you thinking? This journaling practice right here is itself therapy.” Journaling allows you to gather information on your thoughts, think deeply and reflect on both your thoughts and feelings. I get to see my frustration or anger on paper and curiously explore it, assessing where my judgments are and then shifting consciously into a more positive space about the situation or people. Similarly, I get to see my joys and all that I actually have to be grateful for.
The interconnectedness of mind and body is scientifically proven (and let’s be honest, deep down, we have sensed this too. As Dr Caroline Leaf States: “Our mind is not just a by-product of the brain. The mind works through the brain: the brain is the physical organ that filters and responds to the mind.”
Enjoy doing the “reps” and building your BQ muscle sisterhood.