How to use your body to soothe your mind.

Calm Practice

Boundary Sensing

For this exercise, you will need to find three (3) objects: an object you love (a ‘yes’ object), an object that you feel neutral about, and an object that you strongly dislike or that disgusts you (a ‘no’ object). For example, you might love your blanket, feel neutral about your water bottle, and hate the feeling of the dirty sponge. 

Here’s what to do with your objects:

1. Line each object up in front of you. Notice which one you are drawn to touch first. How do you know this?
2. Pick up your ‘yes’ object. Bring it to your face, smell it, feel it. What does a ‘yes’ feel like in your body? Notice subtle body cues: facial expressions, movements, and emotions.
3. Now, follow the same directions with your neutral object.
4. Lastly, follow the same directions with your ‘no’ object. Notice what your body does. What does a ‘no’ feel like in your body? Think about picking it up, bringing it to your face, smelling and touching it. How does your body respond to this object? Notice the subtle body cues again.

This exercise can help you to tune into your body, your boundaries, and your ‘no.’ When you learn what this feels like in your body, you can observe this in your life with people, commitments, demands, and where you spend your time.

If you have suppressed or numbed your emotions, or been caught in cycles of people pleasing, it is not uncommon to feel disconnected from your needs. Tuning into your body in this way can reconnect you with your emotions and intuition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Ballagh, R. (2024). Twists. 101 Ways to Find Calm: How to Use Your Body to Soothe Your Mind. P. 102-103.