A Simple Path to Wholeness

"Wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one's being,

but by integration of the contraries." C.G. Jung

I've been contemplating the Mind/Body connection in relationship to finding more ease in life that I talked about in my last post.   The question that keeps coming up is what is TRULY nourishing to my body and my mind?  And the answer is moment to moment intentions that help direct my choices and push me towards wholeness.

I start simply.  What I know is my body is nourished by good food, deep sleep, and regular joyful movement.  My mind is fed when I stimulate my curiosity, ignite my intellect and solve interesting puzzles. Both are nourished when I make time for real rest that goes beyond sleep.    

The opposite is numbing out my mind with screen time, boring tasks, worry and fear and dulling the demands of my body by pushing it too hard, sitting too long and eating crappy food.  When I do those things, I end up in a downward spiral that perpetuates itself, making me feel terrible.   When it happens, I know I've got to get back to the basics. It sounds so easy but it’s not always easy to follow.  

I know in my last post I advocated switching back and forth between mind and body.  Feed your mind when you've had too much time in your body.  Feed your body if you've been sitting at the computer too long. I think those instructions are useful when you feel out of sorts and you don't know why.  If you feel that way, you can look at yourself and realize where you are out of balance and then work to rebalance yourself.   

But what if there is a deeper level of working with body and mind to find wholeness?

Wholeness isn't separating out all of the parts of ourselves into tiny individual packages.  Wholeness is weaving all the parts back together into meaningful relationship.  Wholeness is who we are at the deepest level.

I think of mind and body as two sides of the same coin that feed my whole system while working off each other. But in many instances, feeding your mind does not include feeding your body.  And the opposite is true as well. Yet in the best circumstances, your body and your mind are both stimulated and engaged.  

In my yoga practice, I use my mind to focus on my body.  My movements provoke curiosity and problem solving to stimulate my mind.  When I finish a practice, I feel physically and mentally relaxed and engaged.  I've cleared both mind and body to be able to take on whatever is next in my day. 

In coaching, I ask my clients to work with their minds quite a bit.  Sometimes our work results in a specific action for homework. Sometimes it doesn't.  When there isn't any homework, they still go into their lives with a new wisdom gained in the session.  It's so interesting because things that used to bring up a lot of fear or seem very hard don't have that power over them after they've done the mental work to release limiting thoughts.  

For a deeper level of wholeness and integration, I encourage you to seek out more experiences that nourish BOTH mind and body at the same time.  Then watch how your body, mind and life start to blossom.  Go EXPLORE and see what works for you.

I'd love to hear from you and support you in your journey! Please leave a comment below or email me: sarahfischeryoga@gmail.com.