Observing Ourselves from Within

By guest Author and Mindful Movement Master Teacher Douglas Groesser

My father is a very fit 82-year-old. He moves a lot and tries to eat healthily. One day we were talking over the phone about my work with the Academy and he said, “Oh that reminds me. My Fitbit says I have 2,000 more steps to take today. I better walk around the house a bit before bed.”

I asked him, “That’s great you have your Fitbit to help you. I’m wondering through, what is your body saying to you? Does your body sense that it needs 2,000 more steps?”

He paused. I was hoping he was tuning into his vody for an answer. He said, “You know, I’m really tired. Maybe I should go to bed and see if tomorrow I might be able to make up for what I lost today.”

Bingo! He listened. And responded appropriately.

This conversation is a perfect example of how we can Externally and Internally Observe our bodies. Do we pay more attention to our internal body signals or to the biometric readers, scales, mirrors and other tools we use for externally observing ourselves? While these tools can measure weight, temperature, heart rate, etc., they can also instill self-judgment as a motivator.

There is another tool readily accessible to all of us. It’s our body sensation. Attending to these signals, we can Internally observe our bodies to get another gauge of what our bodies need. If we use both, we can take away the judgment and truly listen for what is right for us at the right time and in the right amount.