Being in the Body
By William Bloom

As well as being connected to the earth we have to be fully in our physical bodies. Modern civilisation, with all its stimulation, concrete and electricity, makes it very easy to forget about the physical body, and to live purely in a world that is psychological and cultural.

The most important exercise I know for being in your body is to hold a very gentle physical awareness as soon as you wake up every morning. It takes only a couple of minutes and is very pleasant. As you wake up, gently be aware that you have a body and that after a night's sleep you are bringing your consciousness back into your vehicle.

As you wake up, do not start thinking about what you have to do that day or other pieces of personal business. Do not start worrying. Do not start rushing. Do not get out of bed immediately.

Spend some quiet time bringing your waking awareness fully into your body. Notice your toes and feet. Move them a little. Greet them. Bring your foucs slowly all the way throught your body. Do you have any particular aches and pains? Notice these aches and do not push them away. Greet them and take your consciousness warmly into them. Perhaps touch yourself where there is tension.

All of this shows your biological creature, your vehicle, that you are fully aware of it and this is physically reassuring. It is the first step towards being confidently and comfortably in your body. This exercise can work even if you are in physical pain; in fact it may bring some comfort.

It is also a very private exercise and even if you are sleeping with someone else, they do not need to know or suspect that you are doing it. Sometimes people fall back asleep having done the exercise. This is fine because the sleep should now be very relaxing. It is important, though, to wake up slowly again and be fully in your body before bounding off into your daily life.

There is another simple exercise which really helps. Sitting or lying comfortably, spend a while simply sensing particular areas of your body. What does it feel like in one of your calves or an ankle? With a little gentle concentration you should be able to feel your pulse in any area that you place your focus. This will bring awareness into your whole body.

Here are a few other ways of bringing you into your body:

• Massage yourself
• Receive a massage
• Enjoy a lazy bath
• Regular physical exercise
• Yoga
• Dance and movement
• Do anything that make you feel your body.

If you have real trouble getting grounded and into your body, try a course in martial arts, tai-chi or chi gung. Even a short course will help you rebalance your centre of gravity and change your body awareness.

There is always someone who asks whether you can earth yourself while flying in an aeroplane and the answer is 'yes'. In fact earthing helps to relieve anxiety about flying. Just imagine a thread going down from you in the sky to the centre of the earth.

William Bloom has given permission to use this extract from his book Psychic Protection which is avaialbe in the Soothingminds online shop.