On a call recently a colleague used the term ‘truth-bumps’ to express her reaction to something that was said. While we might more usually say ‘I have goose-bumps’ I have to say I much preferred her term. Not only did it make me smile, more importantly it expressed perfectly the truth of it. Our body knows. We do get bumps, and shivers, when someone speaks something that deeply resonates, or when we see a vista that reminds us of our nature and place in the world, or when we read, or see, or hear something that conveys a deep wisdom.
Our body possesses a deep capacity for knowing. Call it gut instinct, somatic wisdom, congruence or any other term, we can all recognise that feeling of rightness, of congruence when someone speaks a truth we share.
We ignore our body at our peril, after all it is what our consciousness arises within and from. We are not a separate mind, we are embodied. Our body does speak our mind, our body does remember, our body does keep the score.
So many of us have become disconnected and lost neuroception, the ability to tune in and listen to what is going on physically. Neuroception enables us to know our inner experience, scans our environment, and senses the quality of connection to other nervous systems (other people). Can you sense your heart beating? Notice the activity in your gut? Do you know what the quality of your inner experiences means for you? Are you feeling safe? Alert and on guard? In danger or overwhelmed? For our health, both physical and mental, it is a capacity we all need to re-member and embrace. From knowing when we are hungry, thirsty and full, to sensing when we need to feel safe, to rest, exercise, find comfort or anything else, our body has much to offer us.
I am delighted to notice how much more often this more intuitive, embodied experience is being awoken in social discourse, and disturbed at how often it is a more linear, left-brain understanding of the world and humanity that still pre-dominates.
I feel called to action. But what to do? A simple start is to listen internally, and to encourage others to do likewise. When we tune in and allow ourselves to resonate, the path of healthy, connected living becomes much more clear. How will you make space for the truth bumps you need in your life today?
