Body-Soul Connection: 4 Practices + The Animals’ Take

I recently heard someone describe crying as thoughts creating water.

It’s so freaking accurate. Thoughts are pure energy, and energy can create a physical entity. (The magic is real.)

It got me thinking about all the ways the physical and energetic are one, and how we can work with our bodies to help expand our openness, connection, and intuition.

Here are my favorite energy/body practices:

1.     Deep breathing, with a twist. I often talk about deep, slow belly breaths because it’s the easiest thing you can do anywhere, anytime that literally affects our heart rate and blood pressure, helping us feel clearer and calmer.

The other day I saw a video of a doctor explaining the benefits of a longer exhale than inhale. She said that when you get ready to fight, you inhale. Exhaling is the opposite and gives your body the message of total safety. So, keep those slow inhales to filling up the belly (not a superficial anxious chest inhale) and luxuriate in releasing your breath a bit longer. There’s nothing like that feeling of safety in all of your cells.

2.     Hand mudras. These are symbolic gestures that can direct the flow of energy in the body. In Yogic tradition, each finger represents an element (fire, air, space, earth, water), and each specific position can target a different outcome. I tend to do the ones that feel good to me: palms facing up on my lap (supporting opening the energy), connecting my thumb and middle finger (it brings a total sense of calm), or palms together in front of my heart (drawing in unconditional love and overall balance). I practice these while meditating, but this is an anytime, anywhere, thing, too — just take a break, a breath, and a mudra.

3.     Feeling the chant. I love simply “Om” or the Ganesha chant “Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha” which carries the energy of removing obstacles. As you chant, focus it flowing through your solar plexus, heart space, and third eye (just above the middle of the eyebrows). The key is to be really present with the sound and feel the actual vibrations in your physical body. Sound is healing, and chants like these provide energy that brings openness and oneness.

4.     Root walks. You can’t experience open connection without a grounded foundation. I like to imagine roots from the center core of the Earth extending all the way up into the soles of my feet, up my legs, and into my solar plexus. I thank Mother Earth for keeping me safe, nurtured, and protected. I do this while sitting but love walking while imagining attached roots connected to every step — you can only be present while doing that, which is the ultimate secret to balance and wellbeing.

No surprise, animals are the experts (and best teachers) in being one with body and soul.

On my first day of a horse workshop in Costa Rica, each horse chose the person he or she wanted to work with that week. As soon as Mr. Big chose me, I was guided to sit in a chair at the edge of the arena, close my eyes and be still while the other horses continued to choose.  

As Mr. Big stood next to me, I felt overwhelmed and my mind started to race. This majestic, wise creature just selected me to work with him…how in the world was I worthy? I worried about the health issues I was experiencing at the time and seriously doubted if I’d be able to do my best that week. (Great job at being still, right?)

Then I felt a firm yet nurturing horse face rub against my leg. I opened my eyes to see Mr. Big looking at me with a message of, “Get out of your head and into your body and connect with the truth!” He saw a power in me (body and soul) and urged me to connect with it. Simply the greatest gift he could give me.

When I do virtual Reiki events for the herd in Costa Rica, you can see the horses on Zoom licking and chewing as they receive the healing energy. Sometimes they lower their heads or kick out a leg in a rest position, too. It’s their way of connecting body and soul, matter and vibration, of being one with all.

Cats purr when they’re content, but they also purr to soothe themselves when stressed — I like to think of it as the original chant.  

Animals have taught me so much about physical and spiritual balance. My friend Diana’s golden retriever would often run into the back yard, roll onto his back, and strike a joyful pose in the grass, just soaking up all that earth energy.

His name was Yogi, and that was his body mudra. 💜