The full and joyful acceptance of the worst in oneself may be the only sure way of transforming it.

~ Henry Miller

If we want to change how we walk through the world, it starts by letting go of unconscious behaviors and the ways we’ve learned to carry ourselves. These habits can result in physical manifestations, including premature aging, illness, and skeletal discomfort, if left unchecked.

What we think we become. Our thoughts manifest into physical attributes, changing how we look and feel. Our bodies transform, becoming the image we show the world.

Actors illustrate this mind-body connection clearly. When assuming a role, they often begin by physicalizing the character’s movements and carriage.  Over time, their body becomes the story they are telling. We can easily read others the same way.

We see people every day who have become the embodiment of their thoughts and behaviors.

11 Let Go’s to Shift Your Body and Your Life

Let go:

1) The Weight of the World Upon Our Shoulders. We can’t change the world by carrying it around, so let’s put it down, even if we picked it up with good intentions. Hunching, sloping, and rolling our shoulders forward to carry the burden often creates a rounded back, aging us beyond our years. In addition, it compresses the spine and our lovely necks, which can manifest into back pain, headaches, and joint discomfort, to name a few.

2) A Scowl or Frown. Who remembers hearing, as a child, wipe that look off your face, or it will stay that way? If you consistently wear either, you may unknowingly imprint a permanent look on your face. It is said that at 40 yrs old, you have the face that your attitude has created. Choosing a smile outshines a frown any day.

3) Looking Down Your Nose. When you look down your nose at someone, your eyes become harsh, sometimes even a bit crossed. It projects an air of judgment, superiority, and disapproval. Letting go of those attitudes allows us to see with an open and accepting mind.

4) A Stiff Upper Lip. A tight-lipped response is a mask we wear when we deny our emotions, shoving down our feelings or suppressing our needs, replacing them with an air that says all is ok. That rigidity  doesn’t stay in the lips: it travels into the neck, shoulders, and back

5) Expectations Others Place Upon Us. Wearing the expectations we have allowed others to place upon us takes us away from living our truth. Let those people who put their expectations upon you take them back.

6) Wearing Disappointments as a quiet plea for sympathy. Holding on to disappointments for too long will restrict our growth. Bad times will pass if we understand we are holding on to something we cannot change. Living in the past robs us of living in the present.

7) Grudges and Resentment, just like disappointments, limit our growth. These emotions can be toxic to ourselves as well as those around us. Holding on to slights, real or perceived, keeps us chained to that moment that no longer exists.

8) Rose Colored Glasses: We have all worn them at times. Shielding reality by being overly optimistic, naive, or oblivious about a situation is just as detrimental as being negative. Our ability to see exists when we let go of the fear of seeing ourselves realistically.

9) An I Can’t Attitude. Not a great look, energetically or physically. When you carry a dark cloud and a defeatist attitude, it contributes to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure and a lack of success. The slumped profile can contribute to neck, shoulder, and back pain. This attitude always propels me to ask. “But if you could do it, how would that feel?”
The alternative Can Do attitude fits all body types.

10) A Know-it-Attitude. No one likes a know-it-all. This attitude is often a mask for insecurity and concerns about how others perceive us. It can be deeply ingrained in family dynamics, serving as a defense mechanism. However, because it was, it does not mean it needs to remain. The energy is destructive to relationships, so best to drop it. Learning to listen is a place to start.

11) Our Super Hero Personas. These have been popular items for years. We thought we could and had to do it all. We can lose the costume, understanding that asking for help is not the end of the world; it is a sign of strength.

This isn’t just a metaphor. The connection among body, mind, and spirit is central in Eastern medicine. Our illnesses and injuries indicate what is happening at a profound, usually unrecognized, subconscious level. Because we cannot see it doesn’t make it untrue.

It has taken a lifetime to create some physicalities we end up with, but we can shed them instantly once we become aware. So it is never too late to let them go. What never ages us iis an open heart, an easy smile, a straight back, a flexible approach, a zest for living, and a positive attitude.

It begins with the courage to look at who we are. The word courage initially meant to speak all that is in one’s heart. Are you ready to love yourself enough to look inside and release the identities you’ve grown accustomed to wearing?

 

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.

 

-Oprah Winfrey