Summary

The article discusses the importance of listening to the body's signals and the consequences of neglecting them in favor of the mind's desires, particularly in the context of modern life's pressures and schedules.

Abstract

The author reflects on the societal emphasis on mental over physical awareness, recounting personal experiences of ignoring bodily needs for the sake of discipline and productivity. The piece argues that the body communicates its requirements without the need for external timekeeping, suggesting that life's quality is diminished when it is rigidly scheduled. It also explores the detrimental effects of stress and competition on physical health, noting that the mind's ambitions often lead to the body's detriment. The article advocates for a return to bodily awareness, proposing that such mindfulness can lead to a more grounded and contented life.

Opinions

The author believes that the advice given to them in childhood about overriding bodily discomfort was incomplete and potentially harmful.
There is a critique of the modern lifestyle that prioritizes schedules over the body's natural rhythms, leading to less enjoyment of basic needs like eating and sleeping.
The article suggests that the body's signals are a more reliable indicator of needs than adherence to a clock.
It is posited that stress from various aspects of life, such as education and work, manifests as physical ailments, which can become chronic if not addressed.
The author points out a dichotomy between the honesty of the body and the deceptive nature of the mind, which can lead to overindulgence or neglect of physical needs.
A contrast is drawn between the body's focus on immediate life and the mind's focus on lifestyle, implying that the latter can distract from true well-being.
The author emphasizes that returning to bodily awareness can enhance sensory perception, calm the mind, and ultimately lead to a deeper appreciation of life.

Returning To The Body

Awareness of The Body is Awareness of The Life

I was told from a young age to always listen to my mind.

“My legs are hurting. I cannot walk!”

“Do not give up. Believe. You can walk.”

“I could not get up at 5 a.m.”

“Your body will ask you to sleep. However, stay firm and wake up. You can.”

Those who gave all this advice failed to tell me why my body was not cooperating with me to wake up early.

Life is Tied to The Clock

While working-from-home in this corona virus lock-down period, my time to bed was further delayed. However, I could sleep for more hours by the time saved in getting ready and travelling to the office. In effect, despite late to bed, I could function effectively because of sufficient sleep.

For practical reasons, I follow the schedules every day for food, sleep, etc., whether I feel the need for them or not. The food that is taken without hungry, tastes less. The sleep that is disturbed by the alarm carries the effects throughout the day. To understand the body’s needs, I don’t need a clock. The body’s signals are communicated from within. The body tells me when it needs food and sleep.

The life should be tied to the clock or not, is debatable. However, I realize that life itself is controlled and limited by an invisible unstoppable clock. That mysterious and exclusive clock is ticking, taking away every moment from my life.

Life and Time are inseparable. Life = Time.

When The Mind is under Pressure, Body is The Victim

Life is becoming more competitive and comparative everywhere. The pressure to perform starts at a very early age. To survive, or to improve, constant efforts need to be spent in various activities.

The pressure for better grades in education, the stress of not being able to find work, the stress of unexciting and meaningless work, the stress at home, etc. are all transmitted from mind to body. In every stressful situation, I have noticed that the body was developing a problem. Any such physical problem, which appears trivial and temporary at the beginning, eventually becomes a permanent disease.

During adolescence, everyone needs some strenuous practice to make the body stronger. These practices involve activities denying the body’s needs and comforts. However, when the body is neglected for long, its effects begin to manifest. As I age, I started realizing the limits of the body. But, the egoistic mind refuses to accept the truth that the body tells.

In a constant struggle between body and mind, the vital wealth of life -the health is lost.

Body is Honest. Mind is Insidious.

The body is honest. While hungry, it makes me feel weak. The mind is cunning. Under internal or external pressure, it makes me ignore the body and continue to work while I am hungry.

Food may be delicious, but the body refuses to accept more if I have eaten fully. If the mind likes the taste, it induces me to eat more than what we can.

The body’s focus is on life. The mind’s focus is on lifestyle.

The body is in the present moment, Here and Now! The mind is always wandering.

Animals live in harmony with nature. When an animal’s need for prey and mate is fulfilled, it stays at peace. The man’s search for ‘something’ is never-ending because he listens to his mind’s endless demands. Since his search is always on, he lives and ends his life without contentment.

Returning to The Body

Most of the time, I live as a mind-being. While life has been lived only with partial attention, I continue to indulge in producing an incessant flow of thoughts all the time.

Life passes away as an unperceived mixture of light and sound when I live just as a mind-being.

I realized that I should focus my attention on the body. Shifting the focus to the body is not staring at it in the mirror! I started feeling the body whenever possible. This is my experience. While feeling the body, I feel being grounded in life. I realize that I am a simple vulnerable biological being. I can pay attention to the ‘small’ things that didn’t matter so far. Attention to the body brings subtle facts about it into my realization. It sharpens my sensory perceptions. It calms the mind.

Awareness of the body is awareness of the life. I have started returning to my body often. You?