Today I want to talk to you about the intelligence of the body. Because your body is smarter than you think! There are numerous sensors in your body and the body is constantly evaluating everything you are trying to do and giving you feedback.
Let me give you a couple of examples. Imagine (I said imagine!) you are going to the mall and have the option to take the stairs or the escalator to the next level.. which will you choose? Are you sure *you* are choosing? Or is your body choosing for you?
As I said, your body is constantly evaluating everything you are trying to do. If it determines it’s not a good idea for you to take the stairs, because you are not functional enough to do so, it will steer you towards the escalator. Of course there are other (more conscious) reasons at play but I want you to consider that the body has a built-in intelligence that helps guide you and keeps you from harm.
I tried it out in a park and failed
While I have known about this theory for some time, I have felt it firsthand the other day. I try to go for a walk regularly and close to my house is a park with a stream where some boulders have been put in the stream, so I have to cross the stream by walking from boulder to boulder. A couple of weeks ago, due to various circumstances, I hadn’t done my own exercises as much as I’d like and needed. Yes, for me life gets in the way sometimes too! So I was on my walk and when I came to these boulders, I noticed that I didn’t want to cross the stream. My body was telling me, we don’t feel really sure about going over these boulders. It’s like you go horse riding and you get to an obstacle and your horse suddenly stops because it’s unsure about jumping over the obstacle.
I did cross the stream but I didn’t feel sure-footed at all. I felt very vulnerable going over the boulders and was worried I’d fall off.
Success at last
Fast forward to yesterday. I had been doing my menu of exercises regularly and even did a special set of exercises that I usually do before I go on a hike. When I go to the stream.. (drumroll).. I felt very sure about crossing and had absolutely no issue getting on the boulders, I even felt like jumping from one to the other! What a difference that made!
Now think back to that hiking trip you took and that difficult bit where you had to cross a stream, jump over a puddle etc. – was that you making a conscious choice or your body deciding for you?
Do you want to feel more secure and do you want to be the one making the choices what you can and want to do? Or do you want your disfunction to dictate what you can’t do?
What is YOUR body trying to tell you when you try to do something? What would you be able to do better or with more confidence if your body were more functional? Contact me!