Experience Your Body Odyssey

Try these activities from the Appendix in Body Odyssey to begin discovering the stories and gifts your body offers for your enjoyment and healing.

(A) Write for a few minutes, beginning with “My mother always said.”
Then reflect on how these parental messages took hold in your body. For example, how do they affect the speed with which you move, the way your carry your shoulders, the amount of food you eat?

(B) Bring your attention to your face.
Notice any tension there. Welcome this tension. Gradually exaggerate it. Keep exaggerating it, until that tension is fully expressed. Let your neck, shoulders, and the rest of the body follow along if they want to. How familiar is this tension? What is it saying? What story, experience, or image does it brings to mind? How does it feel to honor the experience of your face in this way?

(C) Practice saying “no” in front of a mirror.
Say it in various ways -— fearfully, brazenly, comically, in a teasing way, respectfully. Vary the volume. As you say each no, be aware of your posture, movements, facial expression, and feeling of energy. Have fun with this exercise. Use it as a warm-up for saying a no you need to say.