This precious beauty is my dear friend's daughter. Let's call her "Dumpling." Her mother does. I've had the great joy of hanging out with my friend and Dumpling for breakfast. This week the little one was full of life and I learned so much from her.Watching Dumpling in motion made it really clear to me; we are designed to move. This baby girl was moving all the time - moving her feet, spine, head, fingers, forehead - exploring space with her body, expressing her energy in the world. It was a joy to see. And a grieat reminder that we are not meant to sit still all day, to have our eyes glued to the screen and our hands locked in position. We're meant to wiggle and reach and look and touch. So, let's invite our bodies to move today.
I also noticed something else about Dumpling. When she feels something, she experiences it with her whole body. Have you ever held a crying baby ? That cry moves through their entire frame, every fibre is asking for whatever it is the baby wants. And when they smile, they jiggle and wiggle and their hands and legs get all excited. Those feelings move through the entire body and when she's done with them, they're gone. Her emotions flowed through her body like weather systems flow through our atmosphere.
As we get older we tend to contain ourselves, contain our joy by limiting our smiles to our lips, contain our sorrow by holding back tears. But your whole body is experiencing that emotion. Your toes know when you're mad. Your tummy knows when you're tired. What would it be like to just let that be, to not resist it and let your emotions flow right through you?
What would it be like to let our bodies move, to let them freely and fully experience what we're going through? If you listen to your body, what is it saying?
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6 comments:
It's true, babies and children are thoroughly connected emotionally and physically. I think we spend our lives as adults too still and stagnant. It's one of the reasons I feel free in the kitchen, I'm always moving and this is so rare with the rest of my life unless I'm "working out" doing my hikes. We all need to dance about more and feel free, like Dumpling does!
what a cutie!!
its so true that babies and children are so in touch with their bodies ... i wonder when we start losing that?
i know that i sit very strangely but adult standards in my desk at work and every ergonomic advisor gets upset with me but honestly, i sit much like children do, moving to what feels instinctively comfortable and even though it doesn't conform to our western ideas of how we should sit, i have had no problems yet ;-)
moving is good i think ... i need to listen to my body more in all aspects of my life ...
She is such a beautiful baby.
Your words are so true. And thanks, because it actually answered something I have been thinking about today. Serendipity at its best.
You are so right we lose so much of ourselves as we age and conform to world around us. We are the only animal that does not follow our fear instinct. We reason away so many of our senses and the gifts that we were born with. Why?
Thank you for sharing your observations. I loved it.
-Mya
Thanks for this post. I have noticed the same thing, but you put it in eloquent words. What leads us to control and contain the body?
oh jamie - delicious little dumpling!!
AND - you have inspired me - I just realized what one chapter of my book is missing- thank you!!
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