First let me tell you why you should develop body awareness. The body is constantly communicating with us what it needs, what it lacks. We can learn how to read these symptoms to provide our body with what it needs. But for that we need to consistently pay attention to it. The earlier we learn these symptoms, the earlier we develop a perception that can greatly benefit our quality of life.
Every morning, before brushing your teeth, stick your tongue out and observe how it looks. Pay attention to the color and shape of your tongue. Note if there is coating on it and what color the coating is. Color, shape and coating are not fixed and they can change daily according to what you eat or how you feel. Ideally, a healthy tongue will have a rosy color. It won’t have much coating on it, it won’t have teeth marks on it, and it won’t be skewed to a particular side.
If you have coating on your tongue, that is a sign that your digestion is not optimal, so you can add more spices in your cooking to help you digest your food better. Things like ginger, black pepper, cumin are helpful.
Other things you can pay attention to is your skin and your hair. The skin reflects a lot of what goes inside our body. It has a direct connection with what we eat. You must have noticed already how you or someone you know have allergic reactions on the skin right after consuming something that triggers allergy. It is that fast of a feedback system. Your hair and nails will also give you feedback about what is going on inside your body, but not as fast as the skin.
As we age, if we don’t take good care of our skin and hair, they tend to go drier and drier. Make sure you are eating good fats and keeping yourself hydrated so that you can lock in that ‘water’ element in your body. It is this water element that will keep you young longer.
Pay attention to your body temperature. For women in menstrual age, it will oscillate greatly throughout the month. The days when you ovulate, your basal temperature will naturally be slightly higher and you might experience some irritation. If you are aware of these days, then you will know what to do to balance yourself. Try keeping yourself cool by doing relaxing activities or consuming cooling foods.
Pay attention to your levels of hunger and thirst throughout the day. When do you feel the hungriest? When do you lose your appetite? How much water do you drink in a day? Digestion is key for your health, so it is always important to note how hungry you are. Also be mindful when you eat. Are you eating with gratitude? Are you eating too slow or too fast? How do you sit to eat? Some people in India will sit with crossed legs on the floor to eat because it actually helps digestion when you sit that way.
Notice your cravings. Are there foods you usually crave? Are they sweet or salty or spicy? Are they usually cold or warm foods? That’s an important clue from your body.
What we eliminate is also a valuable clue to how well our body is functioning. Learn to pay attention to your urine, to your sweat and to your feces. Pay attention to their smell, to their consistency, to how often you eliminate. If you are a woman in menstrual age, also pay attention to your menstrual cycle.
When we have strong body odors it is usually a sign of high pitta in the body.
You can also use massage as a way to develop self-awareness. You can either massage yourself or get someone to massage you. Massaging different parts of your body can help you become more aware of them. Use different types of tools – a foam roller, a massage ball, or your hands to massage your muscles and joints, and pay attention to the sensations you feel. Sometimes we only feel tension when someone actually touches us in a certain spot we have been ignoring.
Another important thing to be aware of everyday is your posture. Pay attention to your posture throughout the day, whether you’re sitting, standing, or walking. It is especially important that you pay attention to how you sit if you are sitting long hours daily. You can try out different kind of chairs, and tables to see what is most comfortable for you.
There is an ideal alignment for the body to be at, and when the body is too out of alignment it can cause problems such as headaches, shoulder and back pain. Stand in front of a mirror and observe yourself. Are your shoulders in the same height? Are your ears on top of your shoulders? Are you overly slouched?
Regular exercise can help you become more aware of your body by improving your overall fitness and mobility. Stretch a bit everyday and you can notice how tight some parts of your body are. Try different types of exercises, such as running, swimming, or yoga, to use your body in different ways and give attention to different body parts.
Pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day. Do you have a consistent amount of energy or do your energy levels drop and rise suddenly? Do you wake up feeling regenerated or do you wake up tired? How does the weather affect your energy levels?
It is important to notice how the external world affects our inner body too. Not just physically, but also mentally. Even though being at home separates us from the external world to a certain degree, we are still affected by outside influences in a certain way. Pay attention to how the moon phases affect your energy or your sleep.
And finally, take some time each day to focus on your breath. As you inhale and exhale, notice where your breath travels to in your body. Play with your awareness and see how different parts of your body warm up slowly when you bring awareness to that particular spot.
Also pay attention to which one of your nostrils is working at the moment – is it the left or right, or both? Do you see any link between which nostril is working and what you feel like doing at the moment? Well, there is a link. Learn to connect with your breath, it is your best friend!
Conclusion
By developing body awareness, you can become more attuned to the sensations and movements of your body and its needs. This can help you make better decisions that actually contribute to your health and well-being and improve your overall quality of life.