Attunement to our bodies with increased compassion

A Mental Health Check-in with Sam McGee 

Each of us carries stories of our lived experiences in our bodies. Our bodies are constantly communicating something with us, even if we feel disconnected. Attuning to our bodies can give us a whole new understanding of how we have and are moving through the world. 

Many of us learn to “white knuckle,” which entails ignoring what our bodies are saying to survive and feeling like we “have to” do that thing even when we are overwhelmed. Forcing ourselves to engage when our bodies and spirits don’t feel safe usually results in staying stuck or further pain and trauma. 

Consider this: Your human body is “Very good” because it is included when the creator of the universe called each new thing “Good” and then “very good” when it was finished.

The embodied exercises are an opportunity to begin engaging with your story and align with the creator and their goodness.  

Questions: 

1. Where do you see you might be white knuckling/avoiding or minimizing things in your life right now? How do you know? How might it be showing up in your body?

2. Can you begin to get a sense of what has kept you from engaging with your story until now?

3. What is one step you can take to begin to embrace your story?

Concepts and questions from books “The Try Softer Guided Journey” by Aundi Kolber and “You are enough” by Jonathan Puddle.