(Notes on an article by Cyndi Lee in “Lion’s Roar”)
We all feel a need for refuge or sanctuary at various moments in our life. Many of us look for refuge or protection in material possessions, praise from others etc. Others look for refuge or escape in drugs or alcohol or over eating. These may give short-term relief.
An authentic spiritual path offers a different kind of refuge or safety. First however we have to start by feeling our emotional discomfort (for example, fear, anger jealousy or other negative emotions. When we do this, our own body is the place to take refuge. But if we deny these feelings- we go into “fight or flight” mode- we may lash out at others with angry words or we may hold our emotions inside where they fester-they then can reveal themselves as “ grief in our chest, anger in our jaw, fear in our knees” or other bodily dysfunctions.
Instead of trying to deny these feelings, taking refuge in the body means that we begin to listen and treat it the way we would treat someone we care about. We do not push too hard and we do not become afraid to move at all. We take the middle path and do what is appropriate for us.
Often we do not relate to our body as a friend-we set goals such as to get sculpted, become more attractive and keep our youth. Instead if we think of our body as a place where we feel good, we shift our goal to feeling better and living a more engaged life.
Instead of unrealistic goals we can begin with small bites. Get up and move for ten minutes, walk the dog, do 3 sun salutations, turn on music and dance. Caring for your body without judgment gives you a refuge that is there to provide integration and well-being.
The Sanskrit word for pose (asana) means to sit with what comes up. Notice what comes up whether it is joy, resistance, old memories, sadness etc. When your mind strays with these thoughts re anchor it via feelings in your body, your emotions or your breathing. Sensations occur in the present, so the body works as a perfect home base for the wandering mind. When you notice what your body is feeling and how you feel about what you are feeling, you are practicing “mindfulness of the body”-an effective practice to expand our comfort zone and for lightening up.
Taking refuge in your body is “self-care with a spiritual twist that recognizes that we cannot become enlightened without our body” When something destabilizing happens, we take refuge in our body as a friend rather than taking refuge in eating, drinking or shopping.
You connect to your emotional state through your body by practicing various forms of mindful breathing, “ Let your mind ride on the breath like a raft on the ocean”. Practice yoga or other forms of movement gently to your level of ability and feel how your body responds as you increase your activity and your mindfulness practice.
Increase your awareness of sensations in your body and what they are telling you. “Learn to trust the refuge of your own body as a place of intimacy and this allows you to become alive right now, available for whatever is needed in the moment”