Stress. Strain. Pain. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just FIX IT… like a flat tire or broken headlight?
Our “engineering” is miraculously different from that of our car. As living beings our trend is what matters, and we have considerable control over that trend (whether we practice it or not). For example, if our thoughts and actions build up stress in our body day after day after day without relief, our trend is towards less and less “ease” in our body. In other words, towards DIS-ease.
However, if we balance the natural stresses of daily life with thoughts and actions that bring us peace, joy, and bliss… our body refreshes and renews itself. It heals. It radiates well-being.
This is where a shift in attitude from “FIX ME!” to one of curiosity and play can make a potent impact. Consider a situation where you have a headache. One approach is to ask, “What can I do to GET RID OF this headache!?!?” When you go to this state, you are actually adding stress to your body-mind. You are trying to “get rid of” a part of you that is in pain and asking for relief. Your energy is anxious, frustrated, angry… even despairing. In answer to your request to “get rid of” the headache, your nervous system does its best to disassociate you from the pain and its messages.
Sometimes this works. Long term, it is a strategy that leads to chronic pain syndromes, fatigue, and loss of vitality. (I know… been there, done that!)
An alternative approach is to be curious. “How might I help my head feel just a little better, a little more relaxed? What if there is a baby step I could take in the direction of relief? I wonder what my headache is telling me?”
Curiosity engages head, heart, and gut. Our intuition activates.
It’s then that we get insights like “rub an ice cube across my forehead” or “take a hot washcloth and rub my feet” or “lie down in the grass for 5 minutes.”
Playfulness goes arm-in-arm with curiosity. “Hmmm… how can I make this even more enjoyable?”
Could you apply this to your work? How might a task you don’t enjoy be made a BIT more like play?
Where could you add slow, delicious movements into your day? Skipping? Whistling? Massage?
One client who I encouraged to combine playfulness and curiosity reported that her headaches would ease when she started making silly noises… blub blub freeeeee catcha goo goo gaaaaaa! Was it stress in the jaw? Throat? Who knows. Her intuition combined with some playful curiosity lead her to relief.
Where might it lead you?