The Importance of Connection
What does it mean to feel connected to YOURSELF? When people talk about “connection” it’s usually in the context of connecting with others but what if you look inwards, do you feel a strong connection with yourself? In my industry of massage and bodywork, we talk a lot about the mind-body connection. The mind-body connection is a two-way relationship where the mind influences the body, and the body influences the mind. Our goal is to have harmony between the two. We want the mind and body to be on the same team, not opposing ones!
Here are some ways to boost that mind-body connection:
Create awareness through meditation. A “Body Scan” meditation practice involves mentally scanning your body from head to toe, noting sensations, tensions, or emotions. This is a direct way to check in with your body and discover where you might be holding stress or tension.
Breathwork. Breathwork is the bridge between our conscious and unconscious state of mind. It’s a powerful tool for connecting the mind and the body. Specific breathing exercises can calm the mind and energize the body. Jenna Hyatt, LMT
Bodywork. “Bodywork” can mean many things. Passive bodywork is massage therapy. Massage therapy is a tool that you can use to become enlightened as to where your body needs attention as well as allowing your body to experience a nurturing touch in a relaxed environment, which can be very healing. It calms your nervous system while addressing areas of tension. Active bodywork comes in the form of physical movement such as somatic workouts, yoga, dancing, running, etc. Bodywork of all kinds is also a way to UNBLOCK stuck energy in the body.
Journal. Journaling is like having a conversation with yourself. It’s a way to check in with yourself and just maybe uncover some things that may be hiding in your subconscious. Sometimes we just need to get things on paper in order to name it and then process it.
Talk therapy. I have learned through receiving talk therapy and now having a coaching practice, just how powerful it is just to have a safe place in which to talk about the hard things. Feeling supported and empowered can really give someone the momentum to not only keep going, but to keep GROWING.
I hope this encourages you to reflect on the connection you have with yourself and ask the question, is my mind and body acting in harmony? If not, I hope you will use one or all of the above tools to create a stronger mind-body connection. Stronger connections build stronger humans
~Jenna Hyatt, LMT, Mind-Body Energy Coach