These past few weeks have been overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time.
Many of you do not know, but my spouse and I are foster parents. We often do not often talk about it as we just feel as though it is a normal part of our rhythm. However, the complexities of foster care have been impacting my family and me these past few weeks.
We ended a placement and started a new placement within the last few weeks. We have felt all over the place as we have been releasing a complex case and preparing for a new placement. In the process, emails have piled up, events have been missed, and phone calls have been ignored, as we have been surviving and adjusting. But one thing that has not been missed has been utilizing gentle movements to help process the variety of emotions these weeks have brought.
We hear the phrase all the time that the brain forgets but the body remembers.
While my brain can release the former placement, my body still holds the tension, stress, and uncertainty that the former placement brought. Through movement, I have been processing my former placement and my current placement.
When I move my fingers, I see images of our current 4-year-old placement holding hands with our 4-year-old son, as they are forming a bond that we have never seen.
My movements are helping me hear the complex things that my body is trying to say.
Through movement, we can learn to listen to the thoughts, feelings, and memories that the body stores and holds. Oftentimes we are going too quickly to hear what the body is saying. But, with gentle movement, we can slow down, pause, feel, express, and release the overwhelming thoughts and emotions life brings.
Today, I challenge you to slow down and listen to the complex thoughts and feelings your body is trying to communicate. Start with the fingers as you learn what memories or emotions the different parts of your body hold. Your body has a lot to say, but will you listen?