I have often referred to the importance of “deep listening” when it comes to interpersonal communication. This involves a conscious effort on the part of the “listener” to focus on what is being said in order to understand its true meaning. In furtherance of this goal, it can be very effective, as the “listener”, to actually repeat back what you think you heard, to make sure you got it right.  This is the essence of “reflective listening” and it is a very powerful tool in communication.

What about the relationship we have with ourselves?  We are all living within a “body” and this “body” is constantly talking to us about how we are feeling as well as how we can best survive in the external world. Through our senses, for example, we know when we are too cold or too hot.  We also have bodily sensations that communicate to us when there is “danger” out there in the outside world.  Our nervous systems are organized to mobilize us quickly when we need to get out of a dangerous situation, or to “freeze” when this might be the safest response.

Problems sometimes arise for us, when we find ourselves “ignoring” or “minimizing” the signals we are getting from our bodies. It might be inconvenient to eat right now, so we are able to “convince” ourselves that we can wait.  We are not “really” hungry, we tell ourselves. The mind can be a very powerful force, and it can override communications coming from the body.  For people with anorexia, for example, the mind finds a way to “turn off” hunger signals, thus depriving the body of needed fuel.

In our modern world, I would argue, there are many distractions that engage our brain so that sometimes we lose communication with our bodies.  At times we may lose the body/mind connection altogether…almost forgetting we have a body until the symptoms are simply too intense to ignore.

The ability to actually “feel deeply” what is going on in our bodies is called “interoception”.   Interoception can be conceptualized as the ability of the mind to “listen deeply” to what the body is trying to communicate.  This is a skill we all have the ability to develop if we learn the simple practice of a “body scan” meditation. 

Body scan meditations are a guided meditation practice used often in conjunction with Zen meditation, although they can also be employed as a “stand alone” practice. Basically, Body scans involve lying down in a very relaxed pose and having a voice guide you through focusing on one body part at a time, and just focusing on that body part.  You ask yourself “  “How does this body part feel?”  Is there a tension, an ache, an itch.”?  Amazingly, our kinesthetic sense can actually “feel into” each body part.  Closing your eyes can make the focus easier.

In this kind of meditation, we are actually training the mind to pay attention to the body.  We are building a bridge between mind and body that then exists within our nervous systems…. even when we are not meditating.

The key is to practice, practice, and practice.  Just look on YouTube to find the body scan that works for you.  Over time you will build the ability to focus on issues with your body in time to actually attend to these issues.