Body Wisdom
Similar to tending dreams, tending the body offers insight about the path to self-care, whether through the landscape of body image struggles or health challenges.
Meister Eckhart of the 16th century wrote, “The soul loves the body. And consider too, how it is that the body is more in the soul than the soul is in the body.” The soul and the body are inseparable – they exist in profound relationship with one another. The body is usually tuned in to the soul long before the mind catches up. And the soul, which communicates through image and sensation, finds voice through the body.
When I work with the body in therapy or coaching, I begin by wanting to understand your western or complimentary medical practitioner’s diagnosis and recommendations. From there, I weave together Mindfulness and Depth Psychology approaches to help you tune into to the wisdom your body holds.
Body Image
Many, if not most of us, have experienced a disconnection from the body. Our culture bombards us with unrealistic standards of beauty that cause us to turn on our own bodies, evaluating ourselves from the outside in, judging what we see, and issuing edicts about diet and exercise which further alienate us from the body’s inherent wisdom and deeply felt needs.
An embodied approach to ourselves– mind, body and soul– releases us from the critiquing, judgmental stance that culture promotes, and frees us to enjoy being in our skin.
Health Struggles
The strain that chronic pain or illness creates can also put us at odds with the body. Our emotions become more likely to snap to the surface, and often our relationships struggle. We’re angry over the ways the body refuses to cooperate, and we long to shed the suffering our body seems to trap us in.
Medical research in the field of Mindfulness has yielded very strong support for its efficacy in managing chronic pain and illness. Bringing a compassionate stance to suffering unfolds new ways of being at home in our bodies. Depth Psychology approaches allow us to tap into guidance the soul may be expressing in the midst of our physical struggles.
To learn more about the services I offer, each of which can include Body Wisdom, click below:
| Psychotherapy → | Coaching → | Workshops → |
