Say Hi to Your Body

Here is a way to start building trust with yourself, your body in particular. It starts with a story.

I was friends with a three-year-old who was enamored with the great Buddha. He'd gone to the Asian Art Museum and seen the statue, and after that he'd come home, assume the lotus position, and take questions. So there he was one afternoon, sitting in the room, doing a mudra, eyes rolling up in his head, and I could tell it was a good time to ask him something. I wanted to give him a hard one. "Oh, great Buddha," I said. "What is the secret to world peace?"

He was quiet for a minute. Then he said, "Start with… hi."

Simple and Accurate

I loved how simple and accurate that answer was. Simple and accurate… could you start a friendship with your body that way? There's a whole dialogue available to you and your body eventually — questions you can ask it, even a commitment you can make to listen to what it tells you. But it starts with contact before content.

If you want to try it, just feel your body breathe for a moment and greet it with hi. You're saying hello to someone who has been your buddy for a long time.