For years I listened to Abraham Hicks say “everything is working out for you,” which made me feel good, but I didn’t have anything to specifically apply them to. Yes, to my life, but not to a specific situation. You see, I was dealing with an autoimmune diagnosis and trying to figure out why my body had let me down. What did I do wrong to be punished this way? It didn’t really feel like that situation was working for me. I wasn’t aligned with my body, nor did I know I could be. It wasn’t until 2017 where something clicked.
Did you know your body wants to support you? It goes to bat for you every single day without you having to ask. This question came into my awareness 4 years ago listening to someone talk about the role of self love in health. I was looking for answers regarding my body, about 6yrs into understanding an autoimmune diagnosis and a year into my energy healing journey, and stumbled upon this perspective. It was new for me. I had been operating under the assumption that my body was attacking and fighting me and doing all of these things…against me. And perhaps, like you, I didn’t know any better than to think this because everyone around me thought the same.
I believe this comes from living in a place of judgement. From a young age, we’re taught to compare and judge, which may be represented as developing awareness of one’s surroundings. I know judgement is something that I’ve dealt with in myself and with others. There has been a perpetuation from society that we look, act, live a certain way and if we don’t then something is wrong with us. This happens with our bodies too. If they aren’t acting a certain way, then there’s a problem with the body. Notice that. It’s a problem with the body, not the environment. With judgement there comes resistance and when resistance is present we don’t have understanding, compassion, or alignment.
I wanted desperately to have a different reality, but I didn’t know how to get it. I knew it wasn’t always like this, but why did it happen and what could I do to shift it back? Turns out, there was a need to unravel and discover the concept of alignment. I had heard the word, but couldn’t apply it specifically to my reality. Like many other instances, this was something I had to uncover for myself to understand and feel it to really get it.
What does alignment mean?
Coming from the perspective that my body wants to support me, and does so daily, was very different, but somehow it eventually made sense. I didn’t know about alignment with my body or with my environment…or so I thought. You know when an athlete talks about being in the zone? They’re focused, in flow, and feel unstoppable. To me, being in flow is like that. There may be a sense of excitement, but there’s also a calm and confidence that comes with it. The word harmony comes to mind as well. Abraham Hicks also describes this as feeling “tuned in, tapped in, and turned on.” But the bottom line is you feel in control and confident in your abilities to handle whatever comes your way.
When you are in this space you are thinking and speaking differently. You’re flowing and confident so things work in your favor. You have a situation and you know exactly how to react. The connections you need come together and everything really does have a tendency to work out. And even if they don’t immediately appear to work out, you know they do in the end. You are also able to make decisions that are more supportive. Because you are in tune to what’s going on around you, you’re able to make decisions that create more flow for your body. You’re able to understand what your body wants, understand how it’s communicating with you, and how to get the things it needs to make it happy. When you are in this space, the judgement isn’t present, but the flow, feeling, and compassion are.
So how do we get in alignment?
You have to know that’s possible and then start the conversation. We start resisting and allow flow. We have to release the judgement and start coming from a perspective of understanding and curiosity. It’s a mindset, language, and belief shift. I started saying “thank you” to my body. I started living more in gratitude because I realized that if I could get on the same page with my body, it may start doing things differently. Better yet, I may have a chance at understanding what it’s doing, and why, then I could change something I’m doing to really create the change I’m looking for. And if you’ll notice one thing, I’m referring to my body as a separate entity. I know it’s my body and I’m here living and breathing in my meat suit, but I’m talking to it like a friend. And expecting it to respond to me as such.
This actually matters though, the way we talk to ourselves. Our subconscious forms our lead, but also takes our lead. We learn early on how and what to think about our bodies. This includes what’s possible for them and how to talk to and about ourselves. If we don’t have an environment that supports the positive talk, or if we don’t believe it for ourselves, there’s a disconnect. I had the positive reinforcement from others in my environment, but I didn’t believe it for myself. There were several reasons for this, some environmental and some energetic, but I had to buy in as well. Anyway, our subconscious drives how we operate and respond until we learn new ways of operating. That happens when a question like “did you know your body always wants to support you?” comes along and causes you to consider different perspectives.
When you’re considering different perspectives you’re more aware of what feels good and doesn’t. You know how you feel when you’re out of alignment so can get clear on how you want to feel. When you know distinctly what both feel like, it’s easier to pivot because you know where you are and what to do about it. Well, we’ll get you to the point where you feel comfortable pivoting if and when you need to. You start to ask questions about your current reality and what it took to get here, and most importantly, what needs to change to fix it. Remember, the mindset and language are now shifting and the belief that you are supported and have things working in your favor is what gets air time. And it’s not about staying in this aligned and possibly enlightened state constantly, it’s about being there most of the time and feeling confident that you can get back when you need to.
Okay, this is making some sense, but HOW do I actually do this?
Acknowledge that there are different ways to think and operate - When we open to new perspectives, we start to ask different questions and receive different answers. This has been my experience, anyway. You can do this by finding people who have done what you want to do, finding a community in person or online with like minded people, conduct research on books/resources by authors or figures that pique your interest. What’s also helpful is understanding where your beliefs about your body come from. If you’re holding a belief like “there’s something wrong with me and my body” that’s coming from somewhere and it’s important to know that other beliefs are available if you want to find them. Once your mind shifts, your body will follow.
Get clarity in how alignment would feel and find proof - Usually when we want something it’s because we’re feeling a certain way and want something different. The current circumstance isn’t working. So, we need to get clear on what we’re feeling, then what we want to feel instead. With our bodies, it’s the same. If we’re feeling tired, weak, or in pain we can remember times where we weren’t feeling these things, even recent days. Finding proof of where this hasn’t been the reality is a great reminder that you’ve had it before and can have it again. Also getting clear on the feelings you’re looking to have. If we’re looking to feel strong, secure, free, peaceful…where do you have that now.
Write a letter to your body - This sounds a little odd, but hear me out. If you’re hoping to start a conversation with your body this is a great way to do it. I’ve mentioned writing letters to other people before, so it’s the same premise. You are looking for answers so be honest. Tell your body how you're feeling, what you want to know/understand, the impact of having your body be a certain way, how you’d like to feel, ask your body what it wants to tell you, and ask what your body would need to feel better. Do it exactly like you’re writing to a friend or parent, but to your body. See if there are any themes, emotions, or any information that comes up as a result. You may be surprised at what comes up!
Affirm your alignment - I think affirmations get a bad rap. Some think they’re cheesy or ineffective, but when we speak about ourselves we need to be intentional because the energy of our words matters. This is particularly the case when we’re judging ourselves. Our subconscious doesn’t know the difference between having something or dreaming about something as if we have it, as long as we believe in what we’re saying. I said affirmations for years and sometimes I felt good about them and others not. The key for me was realizing the power behind the statements of “I am” or “I have”. Once I was able to say the words, I got to the point of believing them, and then I got to the point of embodying them. That’s where the goodness is.
Choose to see good - Being in a space of gratitude is extremely helpful when it comes to our bodies, but life in general. As I mentioned with our subconscious programming, the way we talk to ourselves matters because our subconscious doesn’t know whether we’re joking or if the words really mean something to us. Finding ways to be in appreciation of your body, even if it’s waking up in the morning and breathing, is a great first step. I say “thank you body” or “good job body” multiple times a day now because I realize that I’m being supported. Whether we’re doing chores, working out, physically struggling, or relaxing our body is doing something for us and we have to acknowledge that.
Explore energetic factors - I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this. For many of us, energetic factors cannot be ignored when it comes to our bodies. Whether it is energetic attachments causing disruption to akashic loops causing our body patterns to stored beliefs and emotions causing us to stay stuck in frustration, all can have an influence. Working with an energy healer to identify these things and clear them can work wonders if you’re open to it. For me, all of this was relevant and has been nothing short of transformative in my experience and reality, which is why I dove head first into this work to help others. And I love helping my clients with these breakthroughs because it can be life changing.
Making choices to support your body and its alignment is key. Obviously we want to find our alignment and keep it as much as we can, right? We do this by having tools so we can feel confident and prepared to navigate our days. Here are a few things I use to help with my body alignment.
Muscle testing - As I mentioned before, I talk to my body all day. I’m now to the point where I ask it what it wants and I’m usually able to listen and provide. I do this using muscle testing for all decisions. Sometimes it’s pure intuition, but others I do ask my body if it’s a good idea to do certain things around food and movement. When you start, it’s best to build your confidence by asking questions like eating an apple or banana, but when you do, pay attention to how you feel afterward. Did you feel energized or tired and bloated? Paying attention to how your body reacts after asking the questions is really the key because you begin to understand how your body responds to things. More magic happens here when you build your confidence with this.
Get quiet - meditation is a great way to strengthen the connection with your body. You can sit quietly and feel the different sensations of your body, focusing on a specific body part or move through the body one area at a time. You can also pose a question and sit in silence with your body to see if an answer comes. I would recommend 5-10 minutes each sitting this to start.
Double down on diet - I think we know by now that our food impacts our body and what it’s able to do. From mental to physical performance, our bodies like when we eat certain foods and dislike others. I’ve noticed that when I eat more sugar, processed foods, and fats my body doesn’t like it. It feels more sluggish, disconnected, and even my mood changes. When we eat things that support healthier habits, our bodies tend to respond. When I became more conscientious about the foods I ate, my body responded. This means removing things from my diet and either finding replacements or adding in new things that worked better. Being curious and flexible was definitely my key with this so I could stick with new habits.
Move your body - I’ve always tried to be an active person when I can be. The one thing I’ve noticed when I’m active is I can get a better sense of what my body wants and how it feels. Dance is my go to, but I also like walking a lot now. When I dance, I am “in my body” and when I allow myself to really feel the music there is a difference. I lose myself. I’m not a yogi, but I know that it’s great for your body and getting connected. You need to intentionally breathe and maintain the poses. There is a level of connection between the body and mind that is required for this to happen. The concentration and flow that also happens can be beautiful. Tai chi and qi gong are also similar in that poses are completed in a sequence, but require concentration and flow with the body and breath.
I’m someone who naturally talks to themselves, so that made this whole talking to my body business easier. It can be something to get used to, but once you get started, you may find that it’s easy, can be fun, and you may not want to stop! For me, being willing to explore new and different ideas was also key to shifting my perception of what was possible for me and my health. It may take some getting out of your comfort zone to find new perspectives, but we don’t grow if we don’t push a little. I’d love to hear about your body journey and if you’ve been able to find alignment. Also, if you need help with creating or improving alignment with your body, I’d love to help with that. Shoot me an email at hello@shannonnsmith.com or schedule a Discovery call at this link so we can uncover your best your next steps.