How do you feel about your body?
Dear Applied EQ-ers,
How do you feel about your body?
If you are like me, this question might make you super uncomfortable.
When I was asked this question, my response was a simple and angry, “No.”
I’m not going there. I’m not answering that question.
I used to think of myself as a floating head. I wanted to be seen and appreciated for my mind, just my mind, and didn’t want to deal with the fact that I’m a whole human being.
That started to shift when I had my son.
I remember touring his preschool, and I watched one little kid smack another kid with a ball on the playground. The teacher said something I will never forget. She calmly told the ball thrower, “Go check on his body and make sure he’s okay.”
I could not process what I was seeing and hearing.
“Check on his body?” You’re allowed to have a body here and actually say that word?!?
I enrolled my son immediately.
When I was in school (Back in my day!), you were not allowed to have a body. At least that was my experience of school. That was the tacit message I received. Your body was supposed to be controlled and could not be trusted. It was gross and something to be dealt with. From dress code rules to denied permissions to use the restroom, I learned that my body was a liability at school. I felt a lot of shame about my body as a young kid in school.
Did you ever feel that way?
I can still feel the heat of embarrassment flush my face. That feeling of: I didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m getting the message from the teachers and students around me that I am somehow wrong.
Just for being.
Just for being a human.
With a body that has needs and feelings and sensitivities.
I kept getting the message at school that if my body wouldn’t keep getting in the way, I would get the social approval I so desperately craved. So I tried to turn my body into a machine. And it broke down a lot.
If you can relate and are working towards having a healthier relationship with your body, Adam’s body series course might be a lovely way forward.
I’m almost done with the Breath Series Course that was released for free last month, so now I’m starting the Body Series Course.
Here are the episode titles to give you a sense of whether you’d be into this particular course:
Episode 1: Guided Relaxation (18:44)
Episode 2: Neck and Shoulder (8:28)
Episode 3: Torso Stretching (5:56)
Episode 4: Leg Stretching (5:54)
Episode 5: Putting It All Together (6:19)
My mentor teacher recently reached out to me and reminded me of that great quotation from The Courage to Teach: “We teach who we are.” It’s so true. I sought out my mentor teacher because I wanted to teach like him and be like him. He inspired a higher calling in me.
Adam says it a little differently in EQ Intervention: “The best intervention for a kid is a healthy adult.”
So often in teaching, I thought I was doing everyone a favor by denying my body and sacrificing my health for everyone else’s benefit. It never occurred to me that I was modeling unhealthy behavior for my students and positioning myself for teaching burnout.
I didn’t know.
I’m grateful to know better now. I’m starting what I know will be a lifelong journey of healing my relationship with my body. And taking a few moments each day to pay attention to and care for my body with these course videos feels like a positive way to honor it.
I would love for you to join me. :)
You can access the body series course here. You’ll need to create a teachable account, but if you scroll down past the EQ-uipped Classroom videos, you’ll see three free course series: The Breath, Body, Mind Series.
Is it really possible to take time to care for your body and still be a rock star educator?!? Yes! We’d love to EQ-uip you and your students. Let’s connect.
Applying EQ with you, Elizabeth Eason Martin
