Just Noticing

I’ve been paying attention to tightness in my shoulders. The knots that my husband massages out each night magically re-appear the next day. Only recently did it occur to me to just notice the tension, to see whether that might reveal something more. Through the simple act of noticing this sensation, I’ve come to realize that requests — colleagues walking in my office, phone calls, emails – trigger the muscle tension. The irony is that I’m in a service profession. If people didn’t make requests of me, I wouldn’t have a job. I love serving others with my gifts. So what is it about requests on my time and attention that triggers such a stress reaction? I have an inkling of what’s going on for me, but I’ll save that for my next post. For now I invite you to reflect on when you felt tension. Instead of thinking about your triggers, see if you can access the wisdom that is deeply embedded in your flesh and bones. Where do you feel tension (or tightness, aches/pains, exhaustion, etc.) in your body? For a few weeks, practice just noticing those sensations. When they show up, what’s going on for you?