Listening to Your Body: Compassionate Connection With Your Physical Self

Have you ever truly listened to your body, not just through the lens of criticism, but through a compassionate ear? Today, I recount a transformative experience that shifted my perspective from relentless self-improvement to genuine self-love and connection. Once a dedicated dancer, my life was filled with endless motion. But it wasn't until a serene moment on my mat, accompanied by the soul-stirring strains of a cello, that I realized the profound wisdom my body held within. Join me as I share an unexpected journey of spontaneous movement and emotional release, where my body guided me to a space of deep-rooted connection and understanding.

This episode invites you to reframe how you perceive your physical self. We'll explore the incredible strength and loyalty our bodies exhibit, even when we push them beyond their limits. Whether you're constantly on the move or glued to a desk, there are invaluable lessons to be learned from truly listening to your body. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, we'll discover how mindful movement can become a powerful tool for emotional healing and self-acceptance. Embrace this opportunity to show kindness to your body and let it lead you to a place of profound well-being.

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Transcript

Lisa Hopkins: 0:24

Hey there, today I want to talk to you about the most important relationship that you will ever have, the relationship with the one who has been by your side ever since you were born and will stay with you until you take your very last breath. I'm talking about your relationship with your body. What is the first thought that arrives when you think about your body? I'm willing to bet it's something about how it is lacking Too thick, too thin, too weak, too short. You know the drill Our body has to listen to a lot of criticism from us, but when was the last time that we actually listened to our body? There's so much that our body can tell us if we just hold space for it to express itself. I'm going to share with you something that happened to me recently that really reignited the importance of this to me in my life.

Lisa Hopkins: 1:36

Movement used to be built into my life because that's what I did for a living. Most days, I would dance for at least four hours, usually more, and then there was the time spent on my feet getting to the class or the theater, or standing on the subway, walking to the train. My body was in motion all the time. I regularly asked, slash forced my body to do things beyond what was comfortable or reasonable in pursuit of art or achievement, and my body faithfully complied. Pursuit of art or achievement and my body faithfully complied. I can see now how incredibly strong and unconditionally loyal my body was, despite decades of using the mirror as a reflection of what was missing or needed, a tool to criticize or to look for imperfections. I used my body as a vehicle to express myself and through that expression I have found much joy. But the question that I'm pondering today is when was the last time that we held space for our body to express itself? So the other day I was on my mat in my studio doing some simple stretches, like I often do between sessions or when I remember to step away from my desk. It's hard sometimes, because I get really absorbed in what I'm doing.

Lisa Hopkins: 3:00

The beautiful cello music wafted around me and through me like the aroma of something delicious cooking on the stove in the kitchen, and I breathed it in as I spontaneously raised my arm without thinking, allowing my body to inspire my movement. The more I listened, the more my body told me what it needed. Although I was simply seated on the ground and the movement was minimal, it felt like the two of us were dancing as one. It was spontaneous but connected, different from improvisation, which I do love to do. I wasn't reacting or even responding to the music. I was well. I was simply listening to my body. As I sat cross-legged and still on the ground, I could actually feel my spine stretching in both directions. There was this sensation of being deeply rooted in the ground beneath me, lengthening far beneath the studio floor into the fertile earth that supported the building from far, far below and the top of my head, from the back of my neck, extended in the opposite direction, upward. I felt as if I was in a trance, channeling something else and yet, at the same time, absolutely clear, guided now by only my body. I scooped my arms down to go up, gathering energy and raising my breastbone to the sky in a high release. I felt open and powerful and completely ready to receive. I took a deep breath and on the exhale I smiled from deep in my heart. I was one with my body.

Lisa Hopkins: 5:08

Unexpectedly, tears began to stream down my cheeks like a gentle rain on the petal of a tulip that has opened its petals to the sky. It was sublime. It was sublime what began as an intermission between sessions, to get out my kinks, transformed into this gift from my body which, unbeknownst to me, had been holding on to something for me. It was holding on to it until I was ready to let it go. Although I know intellectually that our bodies have an incredible capacity to hold on to pain, I had no idea that I needed to release anything until that moment.

Lisa Hopkins: 5:54

As the tears stream down my face, I looked into the mirror with love and thought about my mom and all the years that we had spent together in the studio, moving our bodies together.

Lisa Hopkins: 6:13

I felt the urge to summon her and, as I write this, imagine that she had already answered my call in the gentle caress of my warm and happy tears. It felt amazing to connect with my body in that way and I urge you, dear listener, to do the same. Love your body as it has loved you and allow it to be ally and treat it as you would your closest friend. I still dance all the time, but these days I dance with my body to the rhythm of my unfailing heart, and when I look in the mirror, I marvel at how lucky I am to have a body that holds me up and supports me unconditionally. There are no coincidences in life, so it's no surprise that today is my mom's birthday. Mom would have been 86 today. Happy birthday, mom. You will live forever in my body and soul. I'm Lisa Hopkins. Thanks so much for listening. Stay safe and healthy, everyone. Get out there and dance and remember to live in the moment.