NLP Tip: Bodyenergy - Part One – Peta Heskell

publication date: Aug 14, 2008

author/source: Peta Heskell - www.attractionacademy.com

by Peta Heskell

Many respected forms of therapy are based on the theory that your body is a map of your emotions. Do you remember being told as a kid not to make faces because the wind would change and you’d get stuck like that? We do get stuck in certain unattractive postures on a regular basis. Have you ever been watching TV or a film and realized you’ve been frowning for a long time? If you start by being aware of what you’re putting out there, you can begin to change it.

Your body is like a museum of all your past emotions. As a baby you were loose, vulnerable, open, relaxed, ready for action, mobile and able to reach out in all directions. Energy flowed naturally and you had a gentle rhythm that was regular and easy.

As you came into contact with the world, this naturally flowing energy made contact with other people’s negative and positive energy vibrations. When we encounter strong energy there’s a rude interruption of the natural flow and rhythm of our bodies. Your heart actually does ‘skip a beat’ when you experience certain emotions. When something ‘takes your breath away’ it momentarily interrupts the natural flow of your breathing.

When something makes us feel good, we open up to it inside and out. Our posture expands, our limbs separate and we smile. When we come into contact with unpleasant emotions, we literally contract: muscles clench, breath is held and the body tenses up. We arm ourselves to resist.

Rigid Discipline

Robert was a hyperactive child. He was constantly told to stop fidgeting. As a result, when he felt the urge to fidget he remembered his mother’s disapproving shout and anger, and he clenched his fists and held his arms rigidly at his sides. He spent so much of his life clenching his fists and holding himself rigidly that he appeared stiff and lifeless. His inner glow was so restricted by his body that he couldn’t let it out.

When we contract, we’re building a defence against our true feelings. Our rhythms become discordant and we start to bend and twist into unpleasant shapes. And we don’t look attractive.

What Will the Neighbors Say?

Genevieve worried constantly about what people would say about her. One day we were standing by the window when Genevieve’s hand shot out to straighten the net curtain, and she started to mutter, ‘They’re really critical round here – they pick up on everything.’ I noticed that her back had begun to curve and quite unconsciously she had stopped speaking out loud and was just moving her lips. The more she muttered, the more her back bent over. I stopped her and pointed it out. She was horrified to realize she was creating a dowager’s hump for herself. Awareness is the precursor of change. Wake up to what you’re doing now.

As you begin to work on the bits of your body that are stuck, you’ll also find yourself releasing links to the emotions that made you get like that in the first place, freeing up your body to learn what it’s like to be joyful, alive, lissome, sensual and expansive.

Sometimes just thinking about what that would be like is enough to shift your body. So what’s it like when your body is aligned and flowing? Why not try it out for yourself with the following exercise?

Stand with your feet apart and your buttocks loose and unclenched. Feel your feet firmly planted on the ground and keep your head balanced on the top of your neck. Imagine you have a golden string at the top of your head that draws you upwards. Let your shoulders droop and your arms hang down.
As you breathe in, feel your chest rising. Rock and sway from your hips. Lift your arms to your side and stretch them as far as you can. Move your shoulders back and forth in circles and purse your lips in a sexy kissing motion as you do so, finishing by licking your lips and smiling.
Go take a dance class, do some yoga or just continue to do this exercise once a day.

This article was written by Peta Heskell, our myNLPresources NLP & Relationships Specialist. You can read more about Peta aka. The Flirt Coach at www.attractionacademy.com

NLP Tip: Bodyenergy - Part One – Peta Heskell

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