When your brain doesn't work

Sometimes, when we have a problem, we try to solve it by thinking about it. Sometimes, this works.

Pro/con lists, talking out eventualities, quantifying possible options can be great ways to find a solution.

Sometimes, though, the brain is not the keeper of the information. Sometimes, the answer is in the body, and often it is hidden from our first glance, but can be revealed through sensing, feeling or movement.

I have a friend who is very indecisive. She often asks me, “which do YOU want?” If I ask her directly to make a decision, she often can’t figure out what she wants, but I have made a habit, after I make the decision, of turning to her and saying “pleased or disappointed?”

Usually her body has that answer. “The minute you said Thai food, I felt disappointed. I realize now I was hoping you’d pick Vietnamese.” :Great,” I’ll say, “let’s go get Vietnamese…” Her mind could not get a result, but her body could.

If we ask ourselves what our body’s reaction to the issue is, and then listen carefully, we might receive a thought, an image, a feeling, a memory or a sensation. Our job is to stay with whatever comes up as soon as we ask this question and hold space for that to exist.

This is a place where I often invite my clients to start in my body-based therapy practice after they identify the issue that is bothering them.

This is how I approach Somatic Therapy, through the body’s wisdom, and the brain’s ability to solve the puzzle of our body’s information.

It is gentle, personal, authentic, adaptable, and allows the client to stay where they are, in terms of comfort, while welcoming them into new thoughts, feelings, and actions that come up naturally.

If you’d like to find out more how this work or interested in possibly working with me feel free to send me an email at odelia@embodiedacceptance.com.