So here we are, a few weeks into 2024, with the festive season well behind us. How are you feeling? Have you put any business plans or New Year Resolutions into place? Or are you just exhausted and confused?
Are you overwhelmed by the fact that those around you appear to have their personal lives in order or are moving forward with their strategies for the year ahead?
Please remember that life is for living; it is not a competition. If we don’t allow ourselves to be in the present moment on a day-to-day basis, then we are not living; we are only existing.
It can feel like an undeserved luxury to slow down and just allow yourself to be, even for a short time. However, if you allow these brief moments of ‘me’ time, you create space to engage with the world around you and take in nature or listen to music. This, in turn, helps you bring clarity to whatever situation you need to apply yourself to. This is ‘living’.
Know your essential minimum requirements for the year and how these balance out with your ideal outcomes.
You don’t have to have detailed plans in place. But if there are decisions to make and changes you would like to implement, it may help to prioritise and break them down. This can make them more manageable.
You may need some assistance or guidance from a coach or a therapist to action them. Asking for help, either from a professional or from a trusted friend who will listen and reflect back, can be invaluable if you then allow yourself time and space to process and integrate your thoughts.
We all have an inherent somatic intelligence which we are able to access to a greater or lesser extent.
This means that our body is constantly giving us signs and signals as to how it is feeling, not only from a physical perspective but also from an emotional perspective. If we bring an important issue to mind, we may notice emotions coming up for us and feel sensations in our bodies.
If, for example, you feel anxious as you think about something, you may become aware of tightness in your chest as your diaphragm responds to the release of cortisol and adrenalin. This is part of the stress response. Alternatively, if you feel that the issue you have to deal with is too much to cope with, you may become aware of shoulder pain and discomfort as you feel the burden of responsibility resting on you.
Instinct v Intuition
We have all heard the expressions “trust your gut” and “follow your heart”. But what if you don’t get those feelings easily? This is where the difference between instinct and intuition becomes important.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, ‘instincts’ are how people or animals naturally react or behave without having to think or learn about it. ‘Intuition’ is knowledge from an ability to understand or know something immediately based on feelings rather than facts.
In an ideal world, tapping into your ‘intuition’ is the more embodied and organic way to plan your next few weeks or months. If you rely on ‘instinct’ alone, you may be making decisions and reacting to situations based on past experience and conditioning rather than being able to take a wider and more present view.
This is why it is so important to come back to yourself: to create time and space to prioritise your needs, allowing you to make any necessary changes. You can then begin to nurture your somatic intelligence and learn to trust your ‘intuition’, helping you process one manageable decision at a time.
Both Somatic Experiencing® and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy are, by definition, trauma-attuned modalities. Used together, either online or in-person, they can facilitate the resolution of embodied trauma in a very profound but gentle way, honouring each client’s unique wishes and needs.
If you think you could benefit from working with me, please get in touch. Email sarah@ytenehealing.co.uk or call 07747 111040.
Please remember to contact your medical practitioner in the first instance if you have any concerns regarding your health.
