2 Simple, Life-Changing Practices For Starting Your Inner Work

Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start with our inner work.

We’ve each got a lot going on: work, errands, kids – the good ole fashioned chaos of life. If you’re feeling a bit strapped for time, here are two quick throughout-the-day practices you can engage in with the power to make a huge impact in your life.

They are both super simple, but do require some intention and attention, so it might be helpful to carry around something small in your pocket as a reminder (a small rock works great for me!)

Start With Your Body

Our bodies carry the stories and the tension of our lives.

And, whether or not we know how to pick up the signals, they are always communicating what they need: tight muscles, the grinding of teeth, elevated blood pressure, and so on.

Each of these serves as a flag for us, trying to get our attention and show us something we need to pay attention to.

Practice: Throughout the day, pause and tune into your body. Ask yourself these questions.

• Where am I holding my tension right now? What story or desire is beneath this tension?
• (during conflict) What is my body feeling right now? What about this moment is touching upon my story or set of beliefs and leading to this bodily experience?
• (during reflection) When during the day does my body consistently enter a defensive posture? What in me is becoming defensive? Why?

Example: “Woah…my shoulder muscles are really tight right now. What am I trying to control? What in my story makes me feel the desire to control this right now? I know I don’t really need to…okay – take a breath, relax the muscles, and let it go.”

Start With Your Emotions

Another way to start is to begin with our emotions.

Practice: Similar to the approach above, throughout the day you can ask yourself these questions.

• What emotion am I feeling right now? What story do I have that is beneath this emotion?
• (during conflict) What emotion is feeling elevated right now? What about this moment is touching upon my story or set of beliefs and leading to this experience?
• (during reflection) When and where during my week do my emotions tend to elevate? Which emotions? What stories lie under those experiences?

Example: “My anger is spiking – I’m getting pissed off. Pause. What part of me is reacting to this situation? What is the story I’m telling myself about what’s happening right now?”

Work From the Outside In

When we engage in practices like these over time, we learn that listening to and trusting our bodies and emotions opens up new ways of knowing ourselves, connecting with the Divine, and showing up in the world.