Person-centred therapy has a central focus upon the concept of ‘conditions of worth’. Conditions of worth are conditions that a person experiences as being necessary to feeling a sense of being of value. Regarding worth, in the past maturity has been seen as a period of veneration and power, yet in modern societies youth tends to be promoted as having greater value. Media often bathes in sexually charged images of youthful bodies. Sex sells. Yet to what extent will an ever-aging population feel a lack of worth in comparison to the youthful images around them?
The aging process appears to have gotten a hold of me in recent times and I find that my appearance is now firmly in maturity. Upon my attention being drawn to this gradual process I must admit to being beset by a degree of anxiety. I felt this as an unexpected occurrence, as I have mostly appreciated my appearance over the years. I became conscious of the potential of conceiving of myself as ugly and old.
I have been beset by these thoughts surprisingly suddenly and as I adapt to the associated feelings, I have made a conscious decision to recover a sense of appreciation for my body. In this article I will explore a few key aspects of the body and importantly body awareness, that for me, is a fundamental component to positive mental health.
Breath
Breath is the most immediate biological function that also has an interesting feature in that it is both a conscious and unconscious activity. Bringing focus to the breath and controlling how we breathe has been a yogic practice from time immemorial and remains one of the most important practices for relaxation.
There are a number of breathing practices that are available, yet the simplest is to just be aware of a process that mostly goes unnoticed. The act of placing our attention upon our breath will often cause the breathing to slow and begin to induce relaxation into the body. This can reduce chronic stress and when practiced regularly throughout the day, can aid mental focus.
Skin
Our skin is our largest organ and the physical barrier between our bodies and the world. It has the mixed blessing of being both the source of some of our most intense pleasures, yet also excruciating pains. However, in between those extremes are a range of sensations that we may seldom neglect to experience. Touching the objects around us with our attention upon the sensations can be surprisingly rewarding, inviting us into the world of rough and smooth, cold, warm, moist and damp.
Also, our skin is our point of contact with our fellow human beings and loved ones. Not just in sexuality is intimate touch a blessing, but also the warmth of platonic hugs and caress. It is of note that one of the most distressing aspects of loneliness can be loss of human touch. While also, losing openness to touch can be a tragic symptom of abuse and neglect. Receiving touch is proven to be one of the most essential experiences in reducing stress and is known to relieve shock following a traumatic experience.
Sight
Our skin is often the aspect of ourselves that appears to suffer most from the signs of aging. Wrinkles form around the eyes, the forehead shows lines like a road map of our most used expressions. Yet it is with our own eyes that we observe ourselves. Our faces appear to us like the most essential part of who we are, yet they change slowly but surely as we journey through time. Our bodies too are liable to suffer the judgemental gaze, failing to meet some expectation we have created for ourselves. However, we can choose to see our changing image with rejection and distain, or we can love what we see before us if we care to look with compassion and appreciation.
The Body as a Temple
In my opinion the most intimate physical relationship we will have is with our body. I hesitate to suggest that we are souls housed within our bodies, yet that is certainly a way our lived experience can be expressed. As such the home that is our body would be best served as a comfortable and functional one. Although we cannot depend upon having such a home throughout the course of our whole lives, I believe we serve ourselves well in aiming to value and preserve what we have while we have it.
Our bodies are also a major source of our identity and often form part of our conditions of worth. In that sense we would be served well in accepting our changing appearance as a marker of years of life, valuing each season as it dawns upon us.
Yet there is also an almost hidden secret in the appreciation of the body, in that it is a direct point of access to positive mental health too. Practices of caring for our bodies that involve conscious awareness of our inner sensations offer powerful ways of being in the present moment. This aids us mentally as much of the suffering that ails many of us is produced by thoughts in our imagination. Yogic practices affirm that focus on the body can prove an ever-accessible pathway to relief from mental strife. These practices can help relieve us of the conditions of worth we have for our bodies, allowing us to appreciate our bodies as sacred temples for the soul.
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