Inner Body Awareness

Inner Body Awareness... what on earth is that? And why should I care?

To me, inner body awareness is the act of withdrawing a portion of your consciousness or awareness from the external, and focusing on the feelings and sensations inside your body.

Why would you want to do that? From my experience with practicing Inner Body Awareness (IBA) the benefits are too many to name, but they are all so greatly beneficial.

Many cultures have practices, traditions and rituals that in part, help raise your awareness of the sensations that are taking place in the body. Yoga, breathe control and various forms of meditation all can help bring you back into your body, feeling the life flowing through it.

Eckhart Tolle, in his book 'The Power of Now', was one of the first teachers to alert me to this powerful practice, with practical information on how to do it and incorporate it into your life.

By changing your focus from what is outside of you, to what is inside, a powerful shift occurs within your consciousness. A significant amount of energy that is usually chewed up in useless thought and incessant ramblings within the mind, is then directed elsewhere, usually a certain body part. This process automatically calms the mind, while directing powerful, life giving and healing conscious awareness is to other parts of the body.

I initially found it easiest to feel this energy in my hands and fingers and in my feet and toes. When I first started out, whenever I could remember I would try to do what ever it is I was doing, with a portion of my attention fixed on the feeling in my toes. It is slightly different for everyone but basically it feels like a tingling sensation of warmth. For example, as I type out this article, I try to keep a portion of my awareness fixed on the tingling in my toes. This way I am able to stay grounded in the moment, with out getting carried away with my thoughts, but rather I can write from a deeper space, where ideas flow effortlessly, with out having to labour over mental concepts. I can just write.

The more I practiced this technique, the more i came to realize its importance. In fact I feel it is crucial in order to happily inhabit this reality. So i ask you to try it now, as you read this. Try to feel a sensation, any sensation within your body. You need not interpret the feeling with words. Just feel it. This process alone will help you to stop taking your thoughts so seriously, and to experience a reality that is deeper and free of judgements and meaningless thought forms.

Here is a list of some of the ways you will benefit from practising inner Body Awareness:

- You will take your thoughts less seriously.

- The thoughts you consciously receive from a state of IBA will be clear and concise.

- You will become less judgmental.

- You will see problems in your life from a greater, wiser perspective.

- Your health and energy levels will increase as you allow energy to flow more freely

Really there are so many benefits I couldn't possibly name them all. Just try practicing some of the techniques and see for yourself what benefits they bring.

Once you get good at feeling the energy flowing and bubbling in your toes or hands (or where ever) you can start to move your attention around the rest of your body. Up your arms or legs, across your torso, into your face and head. Where ever you please.

I would go so far as to say that the fate of the planet could be changed for the better if everyone started to practice this powerful technique.

So there you are, this should give you enough information to start practicing these techniques yourself and really start experiencing the benefits. I have seen amazing change in friends and family that have started to feel their Inner Body.

Take care

Ricardo