Connecting to your body ensures that you will make your health and well being a priority, which forms the foundation for connection to yourself, and ultimately everything else.
Among your needs that you previously cataloged will certainly be physical needs like sleep. Connecting to your body starts with making sure you are getting enough sleep. How much is enough depends on you. Everyone is different. There is a lot of research out on how much sleep is the optimal amount. You can read about it, or you can just experiment on yourself. Keep a log of how much sleep you get and how you feel the next day. Too little sleep tends to make us feel stressed and impatient. Too much sleep tends to make us feel lethargic and unmotivated. The right answer is somewhere in the middle.
Beyond sleep, you can connect with your body through regenerative activities such as…
hot baths
massage
exercise or movement (see below)
somatic meditation focused on scanning the body for feelings and sensations
rituals to honor your body (see Margot Anand’s writings for ideas)
giving yourself a pedicure or other treatment
giving yourself reiki
or even just being mindful when shaving or brushing your hair and teeth
Regenerative activities should be on your list of needs. If they are not, add some now! Regenerative time, sometimes called self-care is critical to maintaining a connection to your body and therefore to yourself, which is the foundation for everything else. Do not neglect it. Try several different types of regenerative activities and see what gives you the most benefit.
Next, start moving. Your body was not built to stand still or sit down all day. Choose a form of movement and engage with it regularly. Here are some ideas…
Move at the gym
Walking
Running
Cycling
Elliptical Training
Jumping Rope
Dancing
Aerobics/Cardio Classes
Tai Chi
Martial Arts
Move at home
Turn on the radio and dance in your living room
Try fitness or dance classes and videos online
Do yoga or Tai Chi at home
Move in the world
Walk or run around your neighborhood
Hike a nearby trail
Kayak a nearby lake or river
This is just the beginning. Get creative! You do not need to be an athlete, or have impressive photos of your efforts. Just move. For five minutes or five hours, it does not matter. The point is to move every day. You may find that some activities are a lot of fun and you may choose to do more of them, or do them with friends. Besides all the documented benefits of movement for your mind, heart and body, movement connects you to your body in a way that lets you appreciate your human form and all it can do.
Connecting to your body through sexuality comes in stage three, so be patient. Get your sleep, regeneration and movement in line first (in that order) so that you will be ready.
