Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Ahahahahahahahahaha.
Yes. Like that.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Ahahahahahahahahaha.
That was the sound my body made last week when we gave in to its firm suggestion that we sleep in until whenever. Until nine! Craziness!
It loved that we acknowledged how very, very right it had been about how much better we would feel.
It said, See? See?!
But it didn’t do a little dance, even though it looked like it wanted to.
An unexpected realization.
We — that is, the collective — were surprised. We hadn’t realized what an incredibly special occasion it was for the body to really be listened to.
We’d basically thought we were listening. All the time.
You know, being a yoga teacher. Running what we think of as a yoga-based business.
The body is such a major player in everything we do around here and how we do it.
It seemed obvious that the body always gets heard. A given. The body always gets a vote. Always.
The coup. It was a quiet one.
The body said, very seriously, “Not a vote. Not a vote.”
The room became very still. We were paying attention.
The body said, “Not a vote anymore. It wasn’t a vote. Executive decision. I made an executive decision. Thank you for trusting me enough to let this happen.”
Executive? Decision?
We weren’t used to thinking about things this way.
We tried to remember other times the body had made an ‘executive decision’.
Not a reactive one, like quitting sugar nearly eleven years ago. But a calm, assured, measured, this is how things need to work around here decision.
I want the job.
“What are you saying?”, we asked the body.
The body cleared its throat. Our throat. The body leaned into a wall for support.
The body said, “I want the job. And don’t pretend you don’t know.”
We looked at each other. We thought we didn’t know, but we did know.
Pirate Queen me spoke first. “Well. This is certainly unexpected, but I kind of like it! Who’s up for an experiment in radical trust?”
Cautious me said, “Wait, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Gleeful me: “This is BRILLIANT. Let the body be the Chief Executive Officer. Ohmygod. Genius.”
Business savant me: “Ha! Interesting. Show me some numbers. Let’s say it’s possible that this isn’t a terrible idea — I want to know why this is supposed to work.”
The body shows us a series of memory slides.
How permanent email sabbatical saved us from hating the business.
How tramping and walking make us more efficient.
How old Turkish lady yoga keeps us calm and focused, and Shiva Nata delivers epiphanies and mad pattern recognition, so that we constantly seem to be smarter than other people.
Writer me says, “I like it. Just promise me there will be time for writing.”
The Worry Council: “Wait! We want the scientists to be involved! There has to be a way to measure results so we can stop this madness if it becomes necessary!”
The body didn’t seem phased by any of this. It had a proposal. But it wasn’t a proposal. Executive decision.
The body’s nonproposal:
“Here’s what need to happen.
You give me a year to run things my way. We have daily chickening, so that I get to give you information and make recommendations. We have weekly council where we talk about what’s working and what isn’t.
A six month performance revue (not a review!) with dancing and frivolity.
And you trust me to know what I’m doing.
I can totally change our world and the business and take this ship to amazing places, if we all work together and you trust my instincts.
My methods are unconventional. You may worry at first about the amount of napping and the expense of the facials.
But we will turn this ship in a new direction, and the most magical, spectacular things will happen. Are you with me?”
Magic markers for everyone!
Everyone applauded. There was some general grumble-thrum that sounded like, “Yeah! Yeah! But we want to see some charts! But yeah!”
We got out the magic markers and started charting:
- What questions we need to ask the body each day.
- Possible checks and balances.
- What would help us trust the body’s messages more.
- Activities (breathing, yoga, assorted wackiness) to connect to the body in such a way that we’re tapping into deep knowing and not surface knowing.
All this to make sure we won’t be regularly intercepting messages of the I just want to eat nachos and cry all day variety
Or if we do get that message, we’ll know that this is the temporary but necessary course that must be taken for the next thing to happen.
And now there’s a committee too! But not really a committee.
It’s not so much a committee as — tee hee! — an executive decision-making body.
Yes, a body. That includes my body. My body thinks this is hilarious.
Anyway, this committee consists of… my body, of course. And Slightly Future Me and Pirate Queen Me.
My body still makes all the executive decisions, and the other two back her up.
There’s other stuff going on too, and I’d love to tell you more about it, but the body just told us to get off the computer and go for a walk.
So assume that normal comment zen applies (we own our stuff, we let other people have their stuff and we don’t give unsolicited advice). And you are welcome to play with me on any of this.
By executive decision, radical trust and the power vested in me by the collective, signing off for now. π
OMG this is brilliance. A decision making body! making decisions.. for the body.. as a body.
You are so way ahead of the curve my dear I am speechless. And inspired. And remembering to breathe!
I would be very interested to know what kinds questions you (or the more generic “one”) should ask the body every day. I tend to see my body as “the unfortunately necessary meat sack that carries my brain around,” and as much as I’d love to change that, I don’t even know where to start.
So helpful. Sooooo helpful. Having only recently made contact with my body, and having all kinds of snags in communication — it helps to see you model the process in a such a radical way. It’s inspirational.
Thank you!
xo
Twinkles @Imbrium!
Am very interested in this! I am in transition from “unfortunate meat sack that carries brain” to “yoga person listening to unfortunate meat sack”. I hope to keep this transition going.
I’m with Maryann: Soooooo helpful. I tend to let my body lead when I’m not feeling great, but as soon as my body feels well again, I push its needs back off to the side which is not working.
Totally inspired by this, and excited to hear more about it!
After numerous conversations, my body still does not trust me to listen. Cannot say I blame it (considering that my mind is trying to prevent my body from reading the post and getting any ideas). Its methods do seem rather controversial and subversive, even though I also know that they work.
Feeling very inspired by this.
I can relate to the ‘unfortunate sack of meat’ comments. I don’t think about my body that way, but certainly treat it that way at the first sign of trouble. How great to read about your body’s Executive Decision, and the graceful transfer of power that followed. I was kind of cheering as I read along.
The phrase ‘Body of Knowledge’ came to mind. Yay for our wonderful, wise bodies.
As usual, a unique take on a fresh subject!
I hear this and feel this. I also see my body as a central governing force. My body tells me I’m tense before I even know it. My shoulders and back speak volumes about the strain of my thoughts. About how I’m sitting, and how I’m not taking enough breaks.
My back – oh, my back – it’s got a strong personality too. It demands that I rest and gives me a good talking to (sometimes scolding) while receiving doses of heat to relase tension.
Most recently, my feet have been governing my behavior. My plantar fasciitis — a new condition — has really become increasingly inflamed. So I listen carefully throughout the day. When I get up from my desk, before and after walking anywhere, before and after working out, before bed, and mostly, especially, right when I wake up in the morning. It’s the first part of my body that rules the roost, so to speak. If I’m too stiff, I can’t walk. So I stretch and breathe into my feet and say, good morning.
Lastly, my jaw. What is my body trying to say with all that teethgrinding that can’t be said another way? This one’s a mystery to me.
Thanks for giving further “voice” to my body.
I’m with some of my fellows: I think of the body as “that damn thing which refuses to work right no matter how I beg and cry”. I have no idea how to even guess what I should be asking it or how to get in touch. Maybe things like, “What do I need to feel healthy?” Or maybe, “What does the pain need to be happy and not-painy again?”
Ah, newness and confusion. Bless you for thinking this stuff out loud to us.
I hear my body talking to me all the time, my back doesn’t like to sit at a desk non-stop, my digestive system complains about the canteen food, my skin complains about not enough fresh air. I can often counterbalance the complaints by morning and evening yoga, taking my own food to work, walking to work, but there are phases where I don’t manage this combination. I am over and over again just puzzled how darn difficult it is to give in to one’s body’s advice in a day-to-day life at work. But I keep the conversation with my body going, maybe that’s something, too.
I think my body doesn’t even know it could do this. Or maybe it does and is tricking me into thinking it’s not paying attention.
There are certainly lots of reminders and complaints, some thanks (for acupuncture and massage), some sabotage (or maybe it’s an interfering Snacks Monster). But I wonder if my body realizes it could take some kind of lead without getting me sick or unproductively late for work. Except I haven’t been really sick for a while, as far as I know so far. And I’m about to retire and no one has assigned any work recently.
Hmmm. I’d like the “not sick” to continue for as long as possible. And after I retire I’d like to get productive on some sweet little things. And on improving my relationship with my monsters. We will definitely have to have a serious conversation.
Yay for your body! (Um, that’s *not* an incredibly silly pick-up line. Though I do wonder if it would work as one. I have a friend who’s probably used it. π
i think i am a bit confused, but your body seems to have it all figured out. your body (an executive decision-making body) rocks!!
i just love how our bodies, decision-making or not, heard or un-heard, listened-to or not, find a way to let us know what they need, what we need, what we want, what we are conciously (or unconciously) avoiding because it seems to hard or painful. first it is a whisper, then a tender spot, then pain, then panic attacks, then so much pain and fear you can barely think or move or cry.
our bodies are beautiful and so damn smart! i am sure that now havi’s body has the job, we are all in for a treat of fun and dance and play and wacky movements!
yippie!
I eagerly long for the days when I can sleep in again. Eagerly. Sadly, I find it rather hard to do with a 2-year-old jumping on my head. I think HIS body has declared itself CEO of the whole family. It’s not entirely fair, but 2-year-olds aren’t about being fair. They’re about being awesome and jumping on your head when you’re trying to sleep.
Of course, I could listen to my body and go to bed at a reasonable hour. It would be possible. It’s probably high time to figure out how to work within the system I have, instead of looking for excuses.
Excellent!
I’ve been listening more to my body this year, and though it seemed like I was taking time away from more “productive” activities, it’s actually made me more productive. Don’t have all the kinks worked out, but I know that working out (some old lady Turkish yoga, perhaps some Shiva Nata) first thing in the morning sets a good vibe for rest of the day.
Good luck with your new experiment! I don’t think you need luck though, your body sounds like it has things under control.
Been delving into “focusing”. http://www.focusing.org
Talk about a decision making b.o.d.y.! The whole point is to tune into “felt-sense” of thoughts, feelings, ideas etc. The body is not just consulted but IS the whole shebang and informs all other processes.
Once again Havi -brilliant, radical, inspiring. My “But Not For Me” monster is saying “well that’s fine for her, but not for you , girlfriend.” Hmmmmmmm.
Body in charge! I think that’s wonderful, and inspiring — and I know I’m not there yet. Even so, I can imagine it as a possibility, as something I might be able to try someday. I’ve made progress, I believe: my body isn’t CEO, but it is a trusted colleague. I can remember when we were barely on speaking terms.
It occurs to me that my body seems to have learned to speak to me using NVC. When you stay up until four in the morning, I feel shaky and miserable, because I need time to be still and silent and peaceful. Can we please take a nap now, and go to bed early tonight? I don’t always honor my body’s requests, but I’m listening, and I’m learning.
Hoo-yeah! That idea is pretty much a giant tub of fabulousness!
Yay for Executive Decision Making Bodies! … mine has just snuck up on my Council of Selves over the last couple of weeks and taken over by Silent Coup. Much sheepish grinning has ensued .. my biz is called Gurubody ffs!
Thank you Havi for the oh-so-key “Activities … to connect to the body … so that weβre tapping into deep knowing and not surface knowing.” Civil war was just averted with reading that line.
So my activities are :
Old Andaluz lady yoga (seasonal and largely on the floor)
Breathing
Bouncing on the trampoline
Hiro-style whackiness
Lashings of alone-time
Man, I love it when you bring the crazy. I’m sorry, I mean crazy in a good way, of course.
So your body is the CEO of the company now. Huh. Does it still wear stripey socks? This is a fascinating idea, thank you for letting us in.
Yes, the body. Mine was sending shooting pain through my leg for 5 days until I took it to yoga, and now my eyes are threatening to overflow and my heart is hurting.
I just asked my body and she said “yes! let’s do that!”
(My body speaks in all lower case, apparently.)
And I love sleeping in until whenever! The last time I did that I still woke up at 7am but I felt *so refreshed*. It was amazing.
Brilliant! I love this.
Wowsa! How deliciously subversive. After a full day of raking and leaf blowing, my body is saying: “I’ll have what she’s having”… hugs.
I like this A LOT. I’m really looking forward to hearing more about how it’s going from Havi and everyone else who is learning from this experience!
I haven’t yet asked my body what I can do to help, but I’ve been aware of (some of) the messages at least for quite some time. I seem to at least be pretty good at it when I am sick: I let myself sleep whenever I can when I’m sick, because I know it not only helps fight the sick, but it removes me from the symptoms.
Lately, I’ve taken a step to extend this with the purpose of avoiding getting sick in the first place. Specifically, I’ve been paying particular attention to any increase of sniffliness. I’ve been trying not to sniffle the sniffles, but to let the flow kick out any possible viruses before they make themselves at home. I use a gratuitous amount of tissues, and I make extra-sure to drink a lot of water and fruit juices and teas (herbal and green and rooibos, oh my!), and eat foods like tomatoes and oranges that have plenty of vitamin C… and so far (knock on wood!), the sniffles keep going away, without the whole yucky-sick experience! So I think (knock-knock again!) it’s working!
I’m also very new to the idea of writing down the things that belong in The Book of Me, even though I do write a lot of other things to help me figure stuff out. But this post made me realize something very important about this book: MY BODY needs to be its author!
The Book of Me, by My Beloved Body. Yessss!
Eventually, I want to be able to make many more decisions that are based in my body, rather than just the seat of my pants. π For now, I am happy to have the inspiration to let a new voice of mine do some writing. I promise to listen very well to this voice, because its perspective is bound to be extremely valuable!