There are a great many things in life that we either do not or cannot deal with in the moment: feelings, situations, choices, trauma… This doesn’t mean that they don’t happen or that we can avoid them, but we aren’t or aren’t able to be present to deal with them in the moment as they happen. In order to normalize things, to avoid reacting, to continue with life moving past that moment, we must put these things somewhere. Our bodies are that storehouse. Message therapists and bodyworkers learn this early on. Simply applying gentle pressure to the structure of the body, muscles, ligaments, tendons, causes them to release not only tension, but stored ‘stuff.’ Client spontaneously cry or go rigid, become furious or cold, remember flashes of things totally unassociated with the day or with their current life. They body holds this for us until we are ready to deal.
If the body holds on to something for too long, has too much of it shoved in, or is triggered to release it but is prevented for some reason, it will start to exhibit illness or injury as a means of prodding us into action. Unfortunately we are usually unaware of the actual issue and think we just have a dysfunctional body part or body system or addictive issue with food or alcohol or drugs that needs to be focused on. But what if we did something different? What if, instead of focusing on the signal our body was giving, we focused on our body? What if we went into the storehouse and allowed one thing to come out of storage and into the light? What would happen then?
Today, I challenge each of us to get into the junk in our trunk. Possibly literally. Pick a body part that troubles, that doesn’t look right, that doesn’t function right, externally or internally, and just sit with it. Turn off everything else. Unplug for just 10 minutes. Put your hand on or near or over the area in question and just feel. Listen. Pay attention to the random thoughts that flow through your head. They might not be that random. Be present for what comes up there and then move on with your day. You’ll be amazed and what you learn and how much lighter, and enlightened, you feel.