Bringing Focus To The Way You Live

There is no doubt that life is busy. It is common for many of us to feel overwhelmed with how much we have to do, the fast pace in which things are to be achieved & the pressure to be all things to all people. In order to meet the demands that are part of our lives, many of us have to dismiss how we feel and use drive and hardness to get through the day. This can lead to feelings of exhaustion, poor quality sleep, overeating or eating what is not supportive, binge watching TV or spending copious amounts of time on social media at the end of the day.

The intensity we feel results in a need to seek relief, be that through extra stimulation & distraction or withdrawal into fantasy land or shutting out people and the world. Our ability to sustain this level of dismissing ourselves may give the appearance that it can be a long-term solution but in truth it is limited in its capacity to support us to function and at some point, each of us will be given a STOP moment.

This may come in the simplicity of coming down with a cold, a headache, muscular tension, sleeplessness, anxiety, overwhelm, pain or something bigger like a car accident or diagnosis of illness etc. Whatever form the STOP comes in, it is an opportunity that brings awareness to the truth that the way we are getting through life is a strain on our body and the way we feel. In this offering we may open up to the possibility that there might be another way to be with each day and all we need to do.

Let’s explore some of the practicalities that can help you with this burgeoning awareness and understanding that things need to shift. Throughout every moment of our lives, we have with us a great source of wisdom, one that is forever giving us feedback, teaching us what is needed and speaking very loudly – if we are willing to listen.

That teacher is our body, remember the thing we move around in J When life gets intense or we simply get caught up in the motion of life, we often forget about the body and make everything about our capacity to think. Spending most of the day ruminating about what just happened, what is going to happen and what happened in the past. We essentially move through life like a walking head, the accumulation of thoughts distracting us away from a connection to the body.

When we do not have a connection to the body as we move throughout our day, we are not consciously aware of how we feel moment to moment. This can lead to us making choices that require us to push ourselves, harden, be racy or withdrawn and not be able to hear the feedback the body is giving us. The feedback may be as simple as slow down, feel your breath, change your posture, feel your feet as you walk, stop and have a break.

The body’s messages always come from a foundation of treating ourselves with respect, deep care and consideration of what is needed to support us to be able to meet what we are required to do in our lives. When we bring connection to our body throughout the day, we welcome the feedback that it constantly gives. In this awareness we have the choice to adjust our movements so we can bring this deeper level of care and consideration to the way we live.

In this choice, how we feel at the end of the day can change. There may be less tiredness, less tension, less overwhelm and more of a feeling of being complete. We may find that we sleep deeper, we feel more open to people and become more consistent in making choices that respond to the feedback from the body rather than react to it and push through and dismiss what is needed.

Listening to the messages from the body does not require us to do anything extra in our day. It is actually very simple and a way of being that is naturally inbuilt into our make-up.

We can start at any moment, on any day of the week by bringing focus to being connected with our body, all this simply means is feel your body as you move. The easiest way to start is by choosing a task you do regularly throughout your day – washing your hands, having a drink, going to the bathroom, picking up your phone and making this a point of focus to STOP and feel your body while you do this task.

If we use washing our hands as an example of a stop moment – feel the tap as you turn on the water, bring focus to the way the water feels on your skin, the temperature, the texture of the soap, the smell of the soap, the way you are breathing, your posture, the feel of your feet on the floor, the feel of drying your hands with the towel or other medium. Enjoy the feeling of stopping the rush and pressure and being connected to the body.

Making some of our daily tasks a super simple point of connection can have a tangible ripple effect on how we feel in our day and our ability to cope with life. Why not give it a go and see if it works for you.

Bringing focus to the way you live supports you to be in life, rather than being a product of life happening to you. It is a delicate movement of you towards you that requires no effort as such, but a simple inward awareness of your body in every moment. Essentially you are meeting you in the way and quality that you would want to be met.