Five Good Minutes in Your Body
Relaxed, comfortable, and nonjudgmental. These are qualities that I often aspire to have, but fail at every day. I often begin my days with the best intentions. "Today I will be patient." "Today I will do my best to support others in a positive way." "Today I will view myself in a nonjudgmental fashion." As the day goes on, I seem to falter. The stress and worry of the day make it nearly impossible to keep these promises I have made to myself. Then I am left lying in bed at night reflecting on all my failures.
This book jumped out at me as a way to try to get back in tune with myself. It promises a collection of practices to recharge the mind and body, as well as release some of the tension and stress I carry. The recommendations from the author are to use one of the 5 minute activities any time you are feeling exhausted, burdened, or find your critical self coming out.
There are 4 categories of 5 minute activities:
Inhabiting the Body
These are activities to help the reader reconnect with the body and take a few moments out of the day to appreciate all the things your body does well. I found these techniques to be very easy to do. I loved lying in bed at night doing all the breathing and reflection activities. One of my favorite ones was where, once in a state of mindfulness, you thanked your body parts for the things they had done to help you during the day. This positive thought really helped me to be less judgmental of my faults and to relax much of the tension in my neck and shoulders.Mindful Movement
These activities were all about paying attention to your body and role in the world while you are in motion. I noticed from these that I began to pay attention to my place in time and space and how important I am to the world. This helped bring about a greater appreciation for myself and increase my self-value. It was fun to appreciate the little moments of my day that I often forgot in the past.Feeding your Body's Senses
This section was all about your body in relation to food. I am currently working on a personal writing piece about my connection to food, so this section really hit home. I am someone who often uses food as an emotional crutch. It is my way to relax, my way to process hurt feelings, and my lens through which I view all positive events in life. I find that I connect almost every important moment and relationship in my life to food. The activities in this section helped me to put food in its place. I was able to think about what food gives to me, and what it doesn't. I can appreciate it's value, without it controlling my life. I don't have to live with regret after a meal, I can just be happy. If you are struggling with an unhealthy relationship with food, this section can change your life!
Wise Body
The last part of the book was a way to tie everything together. Our bodies are beautifully made and we don't appreciate them enough. They deserve grace and forgiveness as much as anyone in our lives. When we are able to take a few moments each day and tell our body "thank you," we are really giving ourselves permission to live a free and wonderful life.
Although I can't promise to continue doing one of these exercises every day, I do know there are quite a few that I will come back to in those quiet moments just before bed time. I have learned how to breath and relax in a way that I had never tried before. And I have found the ability to appreciate my body for what it is and who I am. There is nothing more beautiful than that.
Please feel free to leave a comment or let me know if you have ever tried any form of mindfulness.
Sam
