The Critical Body-Mind Connection
Many people struggle to name the emotion that they’re experiencing. Whether it’s sadness, anxiety, anger, or frustration, it can be difficult for them to put a finger on the actual emotion. It can seem like this is harmless, normal, and just a typical part of life. There is a problem with this, however. Just because you can’t name an emotion, doesn’t mean that it isn’t impacting your decisions, interactions with your partner, and ability to reach your goals.
This connection is critical. Many mental health professionals believe that we’re feeling people who sometimes think about the feelings that we have. What this can mean is that even when we don’t notice the emotion that we’re experiencing, it’s still there. For example, your partner might say something, you might notice feeling annoyed by this, but then feel like you quickly get over it. Then later on you are irritable with your partner for “no reason.” This could be related to emotion that is lingering around from an earlier annoyance, but hasn’t had a chance to be released.
Sometimes emotions are subtle, so your body can give you clues as to what you’re experiencing. This is no more evident than when shame is impacting you and how you feel. Sometimes, when we experience shame, it’s so obvious, there’s no denying what is happening. However, it’s sometimes more subtle as well. In these situations, we can react to it, which can make us disconnect from those who we want to connect to.
When you recognize the signals that your body gives you to tell you that this is what you’re experiencing, you can take a step back. You can give yourself a little time. You can reach out to someone for support. You’re less likely to just react, and say something that you regret.
Such recognition is not easy. Minor emotions can be complicated to recognize. Many times people will say that they aren’t feeling anything when these minor feelings are there.
Emotions are an important part of connecting. Recognizing how you feel within your entire body can help you feel more bonded. You’ll recognize the importance of subtle emotions. Yet, it’s not only the positive emotions that you’ll recognize. You’ll also recognize minor, negative emotions before they erupt. This will help you avoid hurting your partner and relationship, while also helping you to circle back around and talk with your partner about what you’re feeling.
A body mind connection is also important in sexual connection. Sex is a type of communication that involves the body. People can certainly have sex while being unaware of the story that their body wants to communicate. However, there can be problems with lacking awareness, because there is less to build on. When you know what you’re body is wanting to share, you have a story of desire that you can grow. This then becomes something that you can share with your partner.
So whether you’re looking to heal old wounds, build on current relationships, or grow personally, mindfulness is important. It can be a difficult and frustrating journey, but with time and patience, you’ll be aware of an interaction that is already occurring that can help you for the rest of your life.
