You Are Your Own Experiment
As many of you know, I love to play in the garden. I am one of those throw it into the dirt and see what happens gardeners. This year I went so far as to start a bunch of plants from seed. I’ve got tomatoes and peppers and herms and flowers. This process is like a big experiment. I don’t know what will sprout. Planting all 240 tomato seeds has produces an abundance of seedlings, but the 50 bell pepper seeds are a no grow. Even from here, getting things to take root and grow fruit is another try. I feel like this is a great metaphor to how we can manage our bodies – a great experiment to see what works.
So many (all?) of us are working to feel our best in our bodies. A lot of effort can be expended to find the “right” exercise, food, supplement, etc. To make matters more difficult, there is an avalanche of information from research, medical professionals, even our friends and family about what we should be taking/doing.
Start with this idea that every day you wake up in a different body. You slept differently, you ate differently, the shift of time/season changes how your body feels. Because of this ever-shifting environment, it’s difficult to choose one right thing to do to feel your best. There is a level of awareness required to try and see what works best in the body you have today, in this moment.
Yoga is rich with practices to increase self-awareness through self-study (svanhyaya). Knowing yourself includes having a clear mind to observe your habits and reactions. We develop the skills of self-awareness through:
Mindful observation: taking time to check in, pay attention to what is happening in the moment. This can start with how you feel in the moment. (Is your attention in the now, where you are, or more distracted by the future or past?)
Non-judgement: cultivating a mindset of observation (there is no good or bad). Taking time to notice the reality of now, including any internal reactions you have – noticing the push/pull toward or away from things. (How much of your action is about seeking comfort or avoiding discomfort?)
Recognize the effect: observing the effect of some action to notice what it does for us before moving onto the next thing. (Ask yourself – how do I feel now?)
This kind of self-awareness starts with a curios mind. A willingness to try things. Even when all the headlines, the research, or even medical experts suggest a particular thing we must have an awareness of what works for us in this moment. Exploring different activities to see what works best for you includes developing discernment (viveka) and taking time to focus our attention.
If you approach your self-care with the mindset that you are your own experiment, you can develop the self-awareness to understand what works best for you in this moment. You can even develop the practices to stay present as your body changes over time. Not to give you more advice, but maybe try some ways to slow down – to notice how you feel in the moment and the effects of what you’re doing. Take time to notice what grows and what doesn’t. Let me know how it works for you – and if you want any tomato plants ;)