I had an incredible realization while in a Hakomi therapy session this weekend. The realization was that when I can relax my body, everything else in my life becomes much easier and more fluid. The realization first came during a session with a client. I realized that I was holding myself tightly, starting from my belly and moving out from there so that my whole body was tense, and my breath was shallow. As I explored this habit later, I was able to see that everything felt harder when I hold myself in that way.
From the perspective of neuroscience, when my body is tight my brain is using a lot of energy to figure out why keeping the body tight is so important. While my brain is occupied in this endeavor, there is a lot less energy for whatever else wants to happen, and consequently I have to work a lot harder to do whatever it is I need to do.
If I can relax my body, my brain can stop spending so much of its energy engaged in that process, and my brain is free to engage with whatever else comes up in the moment. The creativity and connection simply flow without the effort required when my body is held tight.
What an incredible awareness! I welcome anything that will make life feel easier and take less effort. The next step is to continue to notice when I slip back into my pattern of tension, and consciously relax my body. My brain will thank me!