mariakerewaro.com

“To attain true inner freedom, you must be able to objectively watch your problems instead of being lost in them. Your consciousness is actually experiencing your mental model of reality, not reality itself.” Michael Singer

I was invited many times over to become aware of my breath, my body and what may have been happening within my mind as we moved through the poses. 

And in every yoga class after that, it was standard, use the breath to feel and notice what is happening within.  

I love this offering now, but at the time as a beginner, it was a lot to take in.

“Becoming aware”, was one of the first invitations that was offered to me when I started practising yoga asana.

I remember a friend asking me once where do you start if I want to create change in my life.

For me, it starts with AWARENESS, becoming aware is a place to start. 

You may have heard it described as:

Self Awareness

Mindfulness

Consciousness

Inner Work

Awakening

Enlightened

Yoga practices have a direct link to the body, where we store all of our emotions, traumas, mental and physical stress, grief, pain, joy, love, happiness etc which is a great place to start when looking to become more aware of our thoughts and emotions.

This gives us an opportunity to notice where we feel the stresses for example in our bodies – neck and shoulders, lower back, hips, and then notice how this is making us feel mentally.

A chance to notice what our thought patterns are, and what we might say to ourselves when we are connecting to our body.

Why we might find it challenging to connect to our bodies.

• Chronic Stress – inability to feel the sensation due to dissociation.
• Suppressed Emotion or denial of emotion – if we learnt to disconnect because it was safer.
• Lack of Body Awareness – Lacking awareness of the body due to trauma or neglect, unfamiliar with a physical connection.
• Health Conditions – Depression, anxiety or eating disorders lower our ability to connect, in particular, if we are taking prescription medicine. 
• Lifestyle and Environmental Factors – Excess screen time, lots of external stimuli. Being busy and constantly distracted by external factors.

Why we might not want to connect to our bodies?

• Trauma or Negative Experiences in the Past –  It can be difficult to connect if in the times we do connect to our breathing or body, we are overwhelmed with the pain of past trauma and or a strong sensation that reminds us of a bad memory, leading to us questioning our safety in the environment.
• Feeling Vulnerable – connecting to our bodies can evoke feelings that we are vulnerable and bring up deep-seated emotions that have been dormant which can feel extremely uncomfortable at the time making us want to avoid this possibility.
• Cultural or Social Conditioning – Specific taboos or restrictions regarding bodily experiences were frowned upon. It was the norm to discourage open discussions or exploration of physical sensations, and emotions, leading to a disconnection from the body.
• Negative Body Image – Very common, if you have a negative body image or feel self-conscious or ashamed of your body, connecting to it will bring up resistance and can trigger deep insecurities and feelings of dissatisfaction.
• Fear of Losing Control – connecting to the body can be associated with a loss of control. It may involve surrendering to the present moment and allowing emotions and sensations to arise, which can be very unsettling for those who may have been told not to show emotion and not to feel as they may appear as weak and out of control.

There can be a lot of reasons and very valid ones for us not wanting to connect to our bodies.  And sometimes we don’t realise we have these deep resistances until we start a bodywork practice.

But there are so many benefits to our mental wellness that it would be a real shame if we could not try to work through these resistances and see that we have the opportunity for healing and life-changing results. 

When I started practicing I was very interested in the physical connection. I had a type A mindset and would look to get the most out of my practice and that meant to me feeling the stretch and challenge the muscles……. from memory, my approach was a bit like a workout!

I enjoyed the balance of strength and flexibility in the practice. I felt included because I wasn’t “yoga flexible” or had a “Yoga Body” which was what I was seeing in the magazines at the time and if I’m completely honest, the studio I went to was so diverse, the bodies I was practising next too were not what was in the mags either, it was lovely. It was power yoga, which was exactly what I needed as a beginner to all of the conscious dialogue.  

I was great at identifying intensity and feeling into strength. But it was the identifying of the subtle feelings that I was missing.

Even though I was getting a lot out of the practice, I was numb to the subtleties of the poses and how that was affecting me inside.

It was the slowed-down practices, (Meditation, Yoga Nidra, Yin, Restorative) that would allow me to connect to the more subtle parts of my body, which then allowed me to bring it into my other more physical practice or at least start me on the journey of feeling more consciously not just the loud parts of me. 

I was able to notice when I was feeling something in my body that was more often authentic than what I was “thinking” I was feeling. I was able to see the difference between what my mind was saying and what my body was saying.

The other night I was lying on my back in a pose while teaching a class and I noticed, that my body was very happy being still it was completely aligned, but from my head up, my mind was creating noise telling me I needed to get up. In that moment I was able to witness the difference between my thoughts and what my body wanted, and I guess when this happens we start to understand we always have a choice. If we are used to pushing all the time, we get to see that we make the decision to continue pushing, rather than believing what our minds are saying……that we have to push because we are not enough without it, or something along those lines and it can be very hard to pull away from listening to it all the time because it is ruthless, which is where our practices comes in and are so important to our overall health and enjoyment of our lives.

What are the benefits to us when we start to become aware?

• Allows us to understand our own emotions. We are able to self-regulate and show empathy for ourselves and others. Builds stronger relationships and allows us to communicate more effectively.  
• We are aware of what is going on for us therefore we are able to communicate with more compassion when we see others struggling.
• Gives us an opportunity for introspection and self-reflection. By understanding our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours, we can identify areas for personal growth and make conscious choices aligned with our values and goals.
• We have a clearer understanding of our strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.
• We can make authentic better-informed decisions that align best with us.
• We start to see we are not alone in our struggles and can approach any new challenges with compassion and patience.
• We are able to navigate challenges and setbacks better. By understanding your reactions and triggers, you can develop strategies to manage stress, regulate emotions, and bounce back from adversity more effectively.
• We can be more authentic, with ourselves and others. We start to feel more aligned with what is best for us through our actions and choices. 
• We feel we have integrity which leads to an increase in our self-esteem and a stronger sense of identity.
• We are better leaders when we are aware of ourselves.   We have the ability to have an impact on others, when we are self-aware we can understand the impact on others, build stronger relationships with their teams, and make informed decisions that consider the needs and perspectives of others.
• When we start to see and understand what brings us joy, fulfilment, and a sense of purpose and we feel aligned in our life and in our body we begin to experience greater overall happiness and a sense of deep satisfaction from within resulting in an approach to our life as sacred. We start to approach life with an open heart and passion for life that is abundant, whole and deeply satisfying.