Getting Free From Fear, Part II
Tapping Into the Body

Article that appeared in The New Leaf ™.

Our bodies are safe havens, the home bases in which we can ground ourselves so that we meet our fears with grace and clarity. They are wise companions, ever present witnesses to our experience and guides to the next step, and their wisdom is available whenever we take the time to check in and hear what they have to say.

In order to tap into your body to get free from fear, it is vital that you first acknowledge your body and become willing to let go of all the ways you may have stifled its messages to you. Many of us have run roughshod over the gifts of the body, numbing our senses with food or other substances, dulling our awareness with overwork, and ignoring symptoms or turning them off with painkillers.

(Note, I said "become willing" to let go of your body-deadening patterns. Please do not keep yourself stuck by looking for perfection on this point. All that is needed is that you make a beginning by acknowledging the ways that you turn away from your bodyís wisdom and affirming that you are willing to be different. You do not need to know how you will change this, only that you desire to do so.)

You can transform the way you meet fear by simply holding from day to day a curious wondering about how your body might be a safe haven. How might you cultivate this wondering? Is there a symbol for how it would feel to be safe and utterly at home in your own skin? How might you use this symbol to bring your awareness to the possible safety of your own body? (Clue: ask your body to suggest a symbol to you. Then draw it, paint it, dance it, sing it, sculpt it. This is a personal expression of your bodyís wisdom, not an art project. Critics are not invited to this party.)

Here's an exercise that will connect you with that safe inner space as well as open a dialogue with your body.

Sit quietly, feet flat on the floor, hands relaxed at your side, back straight and eyes gently closed. (You may lie down if you will not fall asleep.) Scan your body for sensations by simply directing your awareness to your feet, then ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, etc. all the way up your body to the crown of your head.

As your attention pauses at each area, simply notice what is. Suspend judgment, making no attempt to change things. This is not a relaxation exercise, though you may find it profoundly restful. It is first and foremost a practice of noticing how it is with your body right now.

It can deepen your experience and keep your attention from drifting to speak your observations aloud. "I notice a sort of buzz in my left calf. Hmmm, my right thigh is a bit tight. I feel a kind of excitement in my abdomen. My right shoulderblade is higher than the leftÖ." This is also a way of letting your body know, "Yes, I hear you. Yes, I notice that, too." Just as our friends would soon tire of a one-sided conversation, our bodies will only speak to us when we listen and acknowledge what they have to say.

Now, find the place of center in your body. Often this is at the center of the abdomen, a couple of inches below your navel. Find where it is for you by sensing into your body for that place where you feel whole and intact. (It can help to recall a time when you felt whole and intact, then notice how you experience that in your body.) Breathe into this place and allow the well being you find there to expand into the rest of your body.

Don't fret if nothing seems to be happening, or if you do not seem to understand what "sensing into your body" means. Simply set the intention, spend a few minutes with your body in interested curiosity about what might happen, and listen. If there is resistance, simply notice that, too, and let it be. Over time you will become more skilled at connecting with your body. For now, let it be enough that you are saying, "Hello."

This practice is a part of a larger practice called Focusing, which is detailed by Ann Weiser Cornell in her book The Power of Focusing : A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-Healing.

While her focus is on healing, the potential of focusing extends beyond healing into accessing inner guidance and support for living a life based on your core values, a life that is not defined by fear.