Stuck in your head? Get Reconnected

Photo by PURE · VIRTUAL on Unsplash

During the pandemic, a lot of my yoga students tell me they feel disconnected and out of touch with themselves.  They say it’s hard to sink in and feel their bodies.  When they practice yoga they can’t let go and be in the experience as deeply as they could pre-COVID.

Off the mat, they’re doing a lot of thinking and worrying. Struggling to concentrate or to meditate

One student described it as being a bodiless-head moving through her day. And because she knows what it’s like to have more connection with her body, she’s wondering what’s going on and what she can do about it.

One way to experience what they’re describing is to try this:

• Close your eyes and “look” into your body.

• Notice your perspective. 

• Does it feel like you are looking in on yourself from the outside, as if you were gazing through a window? Or are you on the inside looking even deeper in as if your body were a cave that you are entering?

If you’re like a lot of us, when you look inside it may seem like you’re looking in from the outside.  Which, if you think about, it is kind of strange since you are your body.   

What you’re experiencing is a disconnect between your mind and your body.  

You’re in your head

Most of us spend most of our time up in our heads.  We’re thinking, figuring things out, worrying, or consuming information and entertainment -- all with our minds.  When we’re up in our heads we give very little attention to our bodies. Even now, do you have any idea how you are holding your body while you’re reading this? (I just adjusted my posture as I type!)   There’s a kind of forgetfulness that disconnects your body and your mind.  

 The other reason you may disconnect is because of fear, stress, anxiety, injury, or trauma.  Those moments are a bit like energetically jumping out of your skin.  Once you’re out there, it’s easier to stay out than to jump back in.  

In either case, it’s easy to get into the habit of only relying on your mind for information and stimulation. The more you rely on it, the more your mind will take over. Instead of just problem solving it starts to worry excessively. Instead of just being present in a situation you’re over thinking, disengaged and distracted. It gets harder and harder to pay attention to life because you have so much mental chatter.

There’s more to you than your mind

You are a multilayered being.  Your mind is only one part of the wholeness that is you.  So when you rely only on your mind and disconnect from your body you limit yourself. 

Your body carries so much information.   It is the storehouse of your senses.  When you do things like taste your food, smell a sweet rose, or touch a beloved’s cheek you’re leaning into your body’s experience.  And it makes you feel more alive and engaged with your life.

Your body is also a incredible truth indicator, because it can’t lie.  It will tell you the truth about your feelings, your health, and your energy.   

And it’s the home of your intuition.  Strong intuition starts in your body and then informs your mind.

All of that aliveness, intuition, and truth is available to you in every moment.  You just need to remind your mind to listen to and reconnect with your body.  When you bring your mind back home to your body you feel more at ease, alive centered, and peaceful. 

A Simple exercise for Reconnecting your mind and body

Set aside a few minutes to settle yourself in a relatively peaceful place.  (sometimes I use my closet!)

• Breathe and notice what it feels like to breathe

• Bring your attention to the sensations in your body.  Start slowly and go as deep as you can.  Your hands are a great place to start.  Feel the aliveness in your palms. 

• Follow those sensations up to your wrists, forearms, and shoulders.  

Just reconnecting with the sensations in your hands and arms can be enough to start rebuilding the connection between your mind and body.  Repeat this several times a day for a few days and you’ll really start to feel a difference in yourself.   

Mind Body Integration

You are meant to live a life full of experiences.  When you are always up in your head you cut yourself off from the wealth of sensation, information, and intuition that your body can give you.  If you want to feel fully alive, present, and integrated take a few minutes each day to reconnect your body with your mind.