Creating Spaciousness
How to shift from constriction to expansion
Whenever I've felt a desire to say something but have held back, I've noticed it's been accompanied by a physical sensation of constriction in my body.
There's a sense the words want to come out, but somewhere between the desire and the realisation there's an obstacle - as if gravel is blocking the pipe connecting my brain with my mouth.
Reflecting on this it makes sense.
Sharing what's on your mind means opening up - and depending on the nature of your message, it can feel vulnerable. In response, the body wants to constrict and close in an act of self protection.
The challenge this presents is that for at least some of the time, what your body is picking up as a threat, may not be that 'dangerous' in reality.
In fact the opposite is likely true.
Opening up and sharing what's on your mind enhances your relationships and provides you with a sense of freedom. It's how you live life in integrity and authenticity.
To help address this, you can work on changing your thoughts, but you can also work with your body to create a shift from the physical sensation of constriction to a greater sense of expansion.
Manoeuvering your body shifts your energy. It loosens your muscles and calms your nervous system. It helps unblock the pipe between your brain, gut and mouth, removing the gravel that's getting in the way of your voice.
If you can relate, you may like to try regularly putting your body into shapes of openness.
Here are a few ideas:
Stretch your arms up above your head while taking a deep breath in. Hold the stretch before letting your breath out and taking your arms down.
Extend your arms out wide to the side and stay in that open stance for a minute. Notice how it feels to be open to the world.
Take a few deep belly breaths in and expand your lungs while sitting upright. Slowly let your breath out then repeat deliberately and mindfully.
Contrast the feeling of constriction with the sensation of expansion by firstly bending your elbows and lifting your arms up and to the side. As you breath out, cross your arms over in front of you then as you breath in, take them out to the side as far as you can go. Repeat this movement a few times and tune into the different physical sensations that come with opening and closing.
Using all the tools available to help shift from hesitance to confidence will assist you to keep moving forward on the journey toward greater self expression.
I'd love to hear your experiences.