[atisketatasket]

This is something that puzzles me, and no therapist who's ever said it to me has been able to explain. They just end up repeating themselves, or switch to "take care of yourself first," which they also can't explain.

Do I listen to the part of my body that wants a bag of candy, or the part that knows a beef stew chock full of vegetables for dinner will be best for it?

Do I listen to the part of my body that after an hour of advanced yoga this morning emphatically did not want to go swimming and complained through the first 1000m or the part that at the end was happy and satisfied and felt good?

Do I listen to the part of my body that wants me to go back to sleep in the mornings, or the part that knows I should get up so I can maintain a regular sleep schedule?

Do I listen to the part of my body that gets anxious and panicky before therapy appointments or social events and doesn't want to go in or do I listen to the part that wants me to go in just in case some benefit, however minor, results?

My general rule (which I don't always follow) is if I don't want to do something either physically or psychologically, I should do it, bar illness, injury, or the presence of danger, because it will likely be good for me. Otherwise, whether I'm listening to my body or taking care of myself, that seems like short-term gratification instead of long-term gain.

See the problem? Anyone have a therapist who has ever been able to explain how you know when to listen to your body and when to override your body?

[velcro003]

I guess I am lucky I've never had a T tell me that.

[Argonautomobile]

I've never known what the **** that's supposed to mean.

[ShashaCruz]

focus on your emotions not logic thinking when with him

[ruh roh]

Mine has never said anything like this, which sounds different than the ever awful, where in your body do you feel...

It seems like they are telling you, mainly, to take it easier on your body with less punishing exercise and to put physical well being first--that they are believing your body is telling you when you've had enough of something, but your mind convinces you there is greater reward in pushing past pain/fatigue. It just seems like two different value systems. I think pushing past pain/fatigue is more short term gain--great for competition training, but not so great for the body in the long run. But that's me.

Many of the options you list point to physical vs mental needs, and the mental is winning each match. It sounds like they don't think that's to your benefit, but are also saying you're the only one who can know for sure by the signals your body gives.

In therapy, I pay attention to how I feel physically because it tells me more what is going on internally, but I think that's different than what you're talking about.

[ShashaCruz]

emotional thoughts over logical responses

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by ruh roh

Mine has never said anything like this, which sounds different than the ever awful, where in your body do you feel...

It seems like they are telling you, mainly, to take it easier on your body with less punishing exercise and to put physical well being first--that they are believing your body is telling you when you've had enough of something, but your mind convinces you there is greater reward in pushing past pain/fatigue. It just seems like two different value systems. I think pushing past pain/fatigue is more short term gain--great for competition training, but not so great for the body in the long run. But that's me.

Many of the options you list point to physical vs mental needs, and the mental is winning each match. It sounds like they don't think that's to your benefit, but are also saying you're the only one who can know for sure by the signals your body gives.

In therapy, I pay attention to how I feel physically because it tells me more what is going on internally, but I think that's different than what you're talking about.

I take your point, but what I have trouble reconciling is that I feel so much better physically after, say, eating the beef-vegetable stew rather than the candy, or exercising rather than not or not very much. I mean, I would get a sugar high from the candy and feel good, and I would enjoy the rest from exercise and feel good...but I feel just as good if not better both physically and mentally if I do the alternatives. And that's where the confusion comes in for me.

Yeah, that's an awful question. I turned it around on No. 3 once - unfortunately, unlike me, she was able to answer it.

[ruh roh]

Yeah, I get it. I think it gets tricky when the feel good stuff comes at a high physical price. I used to be a maniac about fitness and it felt awesome. Now I'm more easy going, but I don't get the highs. It's a trade off for sure. I would just keep thinking about it, I guess. I think it's maybe more worth considering if any of it is feeling good from the pain or feeling good from being healthy. Not sure if that makes sense. I don't think any of this is clear or easy to sort out.

[Elio]

ATAT - I battle between the 2 extremes and can't find the happy medium. I am either all discipline and follow the mind or all heart and play (see candy and couch time) but can't seem to find the place where I eat the veggies, take a walk, and watch a single movie with popcorn and be able to rinse and repeat consistently.

ruh roh - I hate that question too. My T is very fond of asking and will follow up with some people do feel it in their body. I'm like umm not me.

[AllHeart]

I've been told that I need to be in a state of neutrality in order to get the right answer from my Self, not my ego. I can't always get grounded. But when I can, I do make more solid choices.

[stopdog]

I have never had the woman say that to me. She has plenty of other completely idiotic phrases-but not that one.

[Waterbear]

My T is helping me try to listen to my body, as it is kind of frozen and numb most of the time. It is hard work, because when she asks, I don't normally feel anything, but I do get the point of her listening.

Another fairly good exercise she had me do is to imagine a line in the room, from number 0 to 10. Then think of the question I am posing myself or think of what I want to decide in and just go to where on that line my body takes me.

If she had asked me to do that a year ago I would have thought it was ridiculous, but now I do kind of think there might be something in it. Not entirely sure, but there might be.

[brillskep]

To me, listening to your body is about listening to physical sensations and clues. Not so much "listening" as in "obeying" but rather as in becoming aware and focusing and trying to understand. So many people live with such a fast pace these days, while many others have their safe routines and rituals. Usually neither of these things is listening to their bodies. To me, listening to your body means taking a moment to tune in to your body and noticing anything that comes up - itchiness, pain, pressure, relaxation, hunger, tiredness, need for movement, etc. You can "listen to your body" in this way after different types of new activities and routines so as to see how you really feel physically, how they impact on you. In therapy, these body signals and the way they change can also reveal your intuitive reaction to certain aspects or things from the past you may be holding on to, such as how you feel past trauma in the present and how you relate to it. I think the body is a very fruitful source of information and therapeutic work.

[Waterbear]

Originally Posted by brillskep

To me, listening to your body is about listening to physical sensations and clues. Not so much "listening" as in "obeying" but rather as in becoming aware and focusing and trying to understand. So many people live with such a fast pace these days, while many others have their safe routines and rituals. Usually neither of these things is listening to their bodies. To me, listening to your body means taking a moment to tune in to your body and noticing anything that comes up - itchiness, pain, pressure, relaxation, hunger, tiredness, need for movement, etc. You can "listen to your body" in this way after different types of new activities and routines so as to see how you really feel physically, how they impact on you. In therapy, these body signals and the way they change can also reveal your intuitive reaction to certain aspects or things from the past you may be holding on to, such as how you feel past trauma in the present and how you relate to it. I think the body is a very fruitful source of information and therapeutic work.

Are you my T!?
Haha. This is what my T sees it as too. I just failed to explain it so eloquently. Tired.

[brillskep]

Originally Posted by Waterbear

Are you my T!?
Haha. This is what my T sees it as too. I just failed to explain it so eloquently. Tired.

Haha, thanks for the chuckle! I am most definitely not your therapist - but I am a therapist so it may be why it sounds similar.

[Trippin2.0]

My former T asked me to listen to my body and describe what I was physically experiencing.

He did so because I had shut down emotionally and couldn't get in touch with any of my feelings.

At first I thought he was nuts, but once I started answering his questions (how does your neck feel, is your breathing shallow, uneven or deep etc) , I actually started bawling because I had unwittingly bottled up alot that week in order to manage and function on auto pilot. And it was all trapped physically just waiting to be released, like a type of toxic tension.

I think it's stupid to not explain or in my case guide the client through the exercise...