We often begin meditation by bringing our awareness into the body in some way. The body is the perfect place to begin practice, because it always exists in the present moment. The body has so much to teach us if we learn to listen. Tuning into the mystery of the body can make our practice interesting and exciting as well as give us so much information about how we are in any given moment.
Body and mind are connected, dependent on one another as our practice teaches us. Senses synthesize into thought, thought creates reactions, emotions, sensations in the body. Unexamined stories that we have attached to, create an energy, a mood, a set point within us.
We have talked about sensing into feeling tone as pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. We can go a little deeper energetically in sensing the quality of energy in the body. Is the energy really active, ungrounded, anxious (in yoga we call this rajas guna), or does the energy feel slow, heavy, stuck (in yoga we call this tamas guna)? Is there balanced, steady, easeful energy (In yoga we call this the sattvic state)? When we sense into the quality of energy present (without judgement, with kindness!), we better know how to bring balance to our systems. We cannot meet the needs have not noticed!
Take time to really feel into the body, to sense what is there, to feel the mystery of the body, to experience the body beyond the material. Make time to revel in the energy body and let it bring you a little closer to your essential nature.
Check out this incredible article on the body written by Zen teacher, Norman Fischer
Wholeheartedly,
Kim