Are You Brave Enough to Listen?

For most of my life, I haven’t been very good at listening to my body. It’s not like I ignored it on purpose; it was more that I didn’t understand the language it was using.

?A few months ago, I started somatic counselling to help me integrate grief, come back to myself and cultivate safety in my own nervous system. As this work increases my somatic awareness (where and how my body stores, perceives and processes emotions through physical sensation) it also happens to be teaching me the language of my body’s inner wisdom. The results have been surprising to say the least.

?As I become more attuned to—and aware of—that inner wisdom, my inner critic is becoming a little quieter. I can begin to understand the signals my body is sending me.

?And this holiday season, it is screaming for me to slow down.

?Ho Ho Hold On

My brain, on the other hand, is hooked by the old holiday narrative: do more, see more people, be more, create material experiences, you haven’t connected with them yet, or them! Make it magical when you do, and if you aren’t making it magical, you’re failing them, and Christmas! ?The inner critic and inner wisdom are in a constant tug of war.

I have struggled in my adult years to not just hear my inner knowing, but to honour it with action. Saying ‘yes’ to it is challenging, ditto saying ‘no’ to the critic. But this holiday season, I’ve decided to lean into the wisdom. I’m going to practice letting the chorus of shoulds and expectations go.

In its place, I’m going to trust that my body knows exactly what it’s doing, and it needs to do it. I’m going to practice listening to what it’s telling me.

It’s asking for calm, so I intend to serve it.

What Might Make You Merry

I wanted to share this with you to encourage you to listen differently this holiday season, no matter how you celebrate.

While you're navigating the days and weeks ahead, can you come back to yourself and check in more often? What does your body need right now? How about your heart?

Then I want you to remember that that’s just the first step. You still have to give yourself what you need, even if you can't give all of it. Can you acknowledge those needs and be brave enough to resist that loud choir of critics?

That’s my call to courage for all of us over the holiday season. Check in with yourself, honour what you find there, and act accordingly with love.

I have a sneaking suspicion that’s where the real magic will be. So happy holidays to all of you. May it be peaceful, bright, and disconnected.