Body Awareness Exercises for Well-being
If you spend most of your work days in front of the computer, I recommend adding a few body awareness exercises to your daily routine. While it may seem trivial, body awareness exercises might be the most important part of your posture exercise routine. Body awareness exercises can lead to better posture, less back and tailbone pain, better enjoyment of the present moment, a better outlook on life, and more confidence. They relieve tension and lend a deeper understanding and appreciation of who we are. Body awareness is key to developing your intuition.
Most of Tai Chi is actually just training your mind to pay attention to every detail of your anatomy. In fact, the simplest form of Chi Kung (Chinese energy exercises) asks the practitioner simply to stand there and focus his or her mind on any uncomfortable points in the body. The mere act of focusing consciousness on the afflicted area can free up tension and alleviate a whole host of problems.
It also has the great benefit of enhancing all other forms of physical exercise. Mindlessly performing exercises can lead to doing them without proper form. Any personal trainer, weight lifter, or bodybuilder will tell you how important proper form is to every exercise. Without good form, you increase the risk of injury and may not target the appropriate muscles. Body awareness will be your guide to the correct movements of your body and can improve posture exercises.
In addition, body awareness can let you know about minor pains before they become chronic. It’s a preventative step that over time can reduce your pain dramatically. When you are sitting or standing, just notice any pain that you might be feeling, and develop the habit of experimenting with different postures. A simple way to find a good office chair posture is to rock slowly forward and back. You are looking for the position that is as vertical as possible. Keep rocking, each time narrowing the range until you finally stop at the perfect vertical posture. Taking advantage of these will allow you to have better posture throughout the day, less back and tailbone pain, and alleviate a lot of that stress you carry.
The other secret is this: most pain, tension, tingling, or discomfort you feel in your body is actually a message your body is trying to send you. I can’t decode the message for you, but as you listen your ability to understand will increase. A sore tailbone may be screaming “please, stop sitting on me”. Tense shoulders may be saying “hey, man, take a break!”. It’s up to you to figure out what it means. It can be a joy to you and your body when you finally start listening.
While it’s useful to be mindful in every position you find yourself in (such as sitting at the computer), there are times when you want to practice mindfulness itself, without the distraction of any other tasks. That kind of body awareness exercise can be done from any position, as long as you can mostly relax. That means lying on your back, standing in a relaxed way, or sitting upright. Just focus your attention and listen to your body. Do it for as long as you would like. The longer the better, though listen to your body to know that as well.
Performing these exercises daily is best. One simple way to get started is to lie on your back in bed when you are ready to go to sleep. Close your eyes and send your awareness to the areas of your body that tingle or seem tense. Leave the awareness there and just listen to it. Determine the size and shape of the area, and appreciate the complexity of the signal it is emitting. It is best to stay with a single area until the feeling disappears. Then move on to another area. Do this until you fall asleep. It might help you get to sleep faster, since it is very relaxing.
I hope you enjoy the benefits of body awareness exercises as much as I do! Please take these exercises and let their gift into your life.
Category: Body Awareness Exercises