Learning to Listen to Your Body

"You therapists are always saying listen to your body.  What does that even mean?" One of my Enneagram 7 friends jokes while throwing her hands up in the air.  This is followed by a lot of laughter and then a deep conversation about somatics, body sensations, trauma, and of course, how Enneagram 7’s can cut themselves off from their bodies.  Yes, this is actually how I hang out with my friends, and it’s delightful and meaningful. 

So what does it mean to listen to your body?  When my clients first come to me, they often have this question.  Most of them have experienced abuse in their childhoods and this informs their relationship with their body.  Even the non-physical forms of abuse like emotional and psychological abuse can impact how much you trust your emotions, your instincts, and your felt sense that something is wrong.  These are all sensations that our bodies can physically feel.  Learning to listen and to trust what your body communicates is key to breaking cycles and healing trauma.

So how do you learn to listen and build trust with your body?  Feeling hungry?  Eat something.  Feeling strain in that yoga pose?  Don’t push past it, listen to your body's limits.  Have a funny feeling in your stomach when that new person you're dating says they are ‘just kidding’ when you get upset about a joke they told?  Get curious and listen to that.   Sometimes our body’s signals are crystal clear, and sometimes they’re murkier and take some time to figure out.  Learning to listen and honoring what your body is telling you is a major part of healing.

For trauma survivors and cycle breakers, practicing this form of self-trust can feel terrifying and fuel massive self-doubt.  This is where therapy comes in.  Having a therapist who can act as a sounding board and help you explore the meaning of body sensations as you heal your trauma, means that you have a space to learn how to trust yourself. Click here to learn more about doing therapy with Hanna.

Hanna Woody is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Asheville, North Carolina.  She has over 12 years of professional counseling experience and specializes in breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma, childhood trauma, and the Enneagram.  Certified in the Embodiment Tradition, she has over 150 hours of training and teaching experience.  Hanna is in private practice and provides online mental health therapy, Enneagram coaching, and Enneagram training.

Therapy in Asheville, Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and all North Carolina regions. 

Therapy for Childhood Trauma, Anxiety Therapist, Childhood Trauma Therapist, Therapy for Cycle Breakers, Narcissistic Abuse Recovery, Enneagram Therapy, Enneagram Therapist, Enneagram Coaching