Love Letter to a Body
Dear Body,
You have been with me through many years. Together, we have experienced much. Much more than my mind can recall.
It seems funny to say “you” have been with “me”. We are companions, but you are not me. Me, the one recalling, is what my yogi-self knows as consciousness.
I came here with you as my vehicle. Actually, I arrived in a seed pod implanted in the vehicle of another. Carried around in there for months, perhaps so I could become accustomed to literally being IN a body, until I was ready to be in you, my own body.
Getting to know you has been quite an experience. At first you were just a way for me to cart myself around to see, do, taste, touch, and experience whatever I was wanting. I had to learn to circumambulate and navigate with you. There were moments of joy and pleasure, moments of pain and suffering. There was insecurity and uncertainty. There was success and achievement.
Mostly, though, back then I didn’t think much about you until it became uncomfortable to exist inside of you. When you started to limit my ability to do the things I wanted because you were tight, tender, somehow restricted, I had to start to understand you. I had to begin to “figure you out” so that we could be more harmonious together. I just didn’t know how.
My journey of being in love with you began when I stopped treating you like a servant that I could use and abuse. I started to realize that everywhere I went, you were there. You knew things that I didn’t because you have this incredible ability to always know what’s going on. That’s how you’ve been keeping me safe all these years.
I know, I know. I didn’t always listen. Even when you were clearly talking to me. I still ignore you sometimes, but it’s not because I don’t know that you know stuff. Usually, it's more because my emotions get the better of me.
Now I play in this world we are calling “somatics" and YOU are an entity all by yourself. YOU are the focus on which we put our attention. I refer to YOU to help others recognize their own inner “YOU”.
Now, as I see myself in those with whom I work, I get more clear about the ways that our relationship can improve. When I see others expecting their bodies to perform for them without understanding the depth of that “ask,” I recall my own early expectations.
People want to know what we will do in this “Somatic Touch” work? What is the experience like? What will happen in a session together? I want to say: It’s all about relationship. What kind of relationship do you have with your body? Can it be better?
Here are some things I do now:
I always ask you first: Should I do this? How do you feel about that? You always respond.
I take the time to look inward to determine how and what I’m feeling. I feel only through YOU.
I listen when you need rest - usually.
I give you good things like movement, touch, breath, and strengthening to keep you feeling good, or help you feel better.
I feed you well and homemade, when possible.
So, my dear body, you are precious to me. I want to treat you with loving kindness. I know you won’t live forever, but I look forward to living the remaining years we have together with as much ease and joy as possible. I know we can only do that by working together.