How does the body support our intentions?
In my yoga classes we observe a lot. Not around us but inside. The first thing we do when we come to our mats is to listen. What have we brought to the mat today? How do we feel? Some day maybe it is the first time that we ask ourselves that. What are the sensations in our bodies, the thoughts in our heads and the feelings in our heart?
This simple act of turning inward cultivates a profoundly important ability: to sense into your body. It might seem basic, unimportant, like nothing much is being done. We might ask, how can we not know what is inside of us? Yet in our hasty day-to-day living, this connection to what is happening in our bodies right now is often severed. We start using our bodies to only carry our brains around. Too many of us live primarily in our heads.
Embodied cognition
There is a growing understanding in cognitive science and related fields that our physical experiences, movements, and interactions with the world profoundly shape our thoughts and perceptions. Now scientist are proving even that memories are not stored only in our brain but throughout the body.
It is becoming clearer that it doesn’t only matter what you know intellectually. You can possess vast knowledge, a deep understanding of what’s good for you. But without the body’s support, you’ll inevitably encounter challenges. The frustrating “I know what to do, so why am I not doing it?” or “I know what’s good for me, so why am I choosing otherwise?” arise from this very disconnect.
Many times we falter not because we lack mental clarity, but because we lack the physical foundation to act. Relying solely on willpower is like trying to build a house on sand. We need our bodies. We need the vital connection to our body to achieve, to connect with others, to be able to stay with strong emotion, to grasp and understand reality.
When this connection, this essential bridge between your cognitive abilities and the capabilities of your body, is weakened or severed, you find yourself adrift. You may intellectually grasp the ideal path, yet consistently choose the less beneficial one. You need to reconnect with the body, to re-establish that vital dialogue.
Without this embodied awareness, you become lost in a sea of thoughts and intentions without the anchor of physical reality. And even, more subtly, your potential shrinks. The scope of what you’re capable of accomplishing diminishes, not because you lack talent or intelligence, but because you lack the grounding and centring that comes from a deep connection with your body.
Yoga, at its core, is a practice of reconnecting.
It’s about restoring that vital link, allowing us to move from simply knowing to truly embodying our intentions. It’s about listening, feeling, and ultimately, living more fully in the present moment, supported by the strength and wisdom of our own bodies.
For me, observing the body as we move, the pauses to sense and feel in between the poses, is among the most important elements of yoga. It has tremendous value, much bigger than the ability to bend over backwards and do a hand stand on one finger.
Related articles:
How Yoga Helps Us Move in a More Coordinated Way
Celebrating slow movement in a fast paced world
