Following Our Bodies at Work
How does it feel to follow our bodies while we work?
This last year I’ve had the opportunity to explore a body-focused practice called Relational Wholebody Focusing. In this practice, the participant is encouraged to ground into the earth and their surroundings and to focus on their experience - their sensations, thoughts, feelings, and images that come up. This practice has helped me personally, and, by extension, it has helped my work. I’d like to share an example of my experience with this process in hopes that it may inspire you too.
Recognizing my relationship with work
First of all, I recognize that I have a relationship with work. I observe my body experiencing stress, urgency, relief, etc. in the context of work requirements and expectations (known or assumed).
I notice the role of authority - my own and others’ - as I go about my work and my body’s experience in relation to it.
With this noticing, I recognize the need to adjust my schedule, my workplace, my tasks, my aspirations, even, as I observe my experience. I notice inspiration to move, to act, to hold, to rest, to pause. With the awareness I have found in this practice, I’ve been motivated to make decisions that make me feel less burnt out, more joyful, and more deeply aligned with my personal values.
Thinking about others
I wonder about my invitation to readers of my blog - what, if anything, will this invitation to reflect on your body's experience around work stir in you?
Lately, I’ve been following the wisdom of dear friends who have chosen to slow down, take a break, and work differently. I see them doing it, I see that they are doing well, and I am encouraged to do the same. I hope that this post encourages you in a similar way, as I share my experience with you.
I would also love to continue this conversation, write more about this topic in future posts, and to hear from you about your thoughts, insights, and experiences around body awareness and work.
~Marissa
Operate Well Consulting
www.operatewell.com