Hello!
I’ve been away for a few weeks following a successful knee replacement surgery. I’m back and thrilled to be writing again. I hope you enjoy today’s installment!
My title for this article was taken from “I Sing the Body Electric,” by poet Walt Whitman, which salutes and honors the human body as well as the soul. You can find this poem in his “Leaves of Grass” anthology, in which he celebrates democracy, diversity, nature, love, friendship, and the view that each and every body is sacred.
I fell in love with his poetry when I was fifteen years old, living at a co-ed boarding school, Verde Valley School, in the magical red rock country near Sedona, Arizona. Whitman’s freedom of verse took my breath away. It still does. For example, there’s this one line in “I Sing the Body Electric” that goes:
“I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world”
According to the dictionary, to “yawp” is to shout or exclaim hoarsely, as when you’re at a rock star concert. (I was, and still am, a forever fan of Tina Turner, and I gave many a “yawp!” at her concerts.) In Whitman’s case, the yawp is an intense shout-out to the human body.
I’m pointing to this particular poem because it’s the closest I can come to the experience I’ve had of my body as it heals from this knee replacement. No, I haven’t been actually “yawping” every morning, but I’ve found a particular affirmation called “I am fearless” that I recite to myself every day, and I feel great energy from it when I do.
Say what you will about the process of healing; I have found it to be almost magical. I’ve watched my leg go from a painful, red, swollen limb to where it is now, an appendage I can straighten out entirely for the first time in two years! This is a big deal!
Yes, I’ll admit that I’ve been following a fairly rigorous exercise and recovery program because I was warned to follow to the letter whatever my physical therapist told me to do. My friends and family also admonished me to make sure my knee didn’t freeze because I neglected the plans I’d been given.
Perhaps you’ve experienced this too: I was so dedicated to my exercises at one point that my knee swelled, and I felt worse for a couple of days. I had pushed myself too hard, driven by a desire to prove to my physical therapist that I was a ‘good’ patient. It was a humbling moment, a lesson in the importance of balance in the healing process.
Getting back to the magnificent body that you and I possess: whatever shape, size, or age, it is stunningly magnificent! By magnificent, I mean our body, yours and mine, is the vehicle through which we can create, play, love, and make the difference we’re here to make. One of my doctors says it’s the “carbon-based lifeform that our spirit inhabits.”
Another aspect that contributes to the magnificence of our body is that it is made up of trillions of sentient cells! This has been one of the tenets of Jill Bolte Taylor, as detailed in her book, “My Stroke of Insight,” in which she discusses the idea that our bodies consist of trillions of intelligent cells, each with its own function, working together to keep us healthy. In this book, she reflects on how these cells work harmoniously together; a realization deepened by her stroke at the age of 37. A brain scientist, Taylor’s insights highlight the amazing balance and communication within our bodies, and she writes that this enhances her appreciation for life and her understanding of what it is to be human.
I was fortunate to speak at a conference in Wyoming a number of years ago, where I met and talked with her at length about her worldview. I remember her presentation in which she gave us a tip on how she wakes up each morning. Before anything else, she says, “Good going, girls!” to her body. I use those exact words now, especially after the surgery. Try it!
- Say something to your body that acknowledges its magnificence and partnership with you.
- Notice how your body responds.
- It may take practice, and you might feel silly, but do it anyway!
I found a quote by her that I want to share with you because it mirrors the work we do at the Academy for Coaching Excellence. It goes like this:
“Inner peace, joy, and compassion are right-hemisphere phenomena that we can all experience more often by actively changing our thought patterns.”
While we don’t specifically reference our brain’s right hemisphere activity, we show how you can actively train your brain to focus on thoughts that allow you to experience the joy of being alive. You can check out our programs at acecoachtraining.com.
I want to leave you with a wonderfully silly yet compelling song from Plum Village. Plum Village is a Buddhist meditation center located in the Dordogne region of southern France, founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 1982. It serves as a peaceful retreat for people worldwide to practice mindfulness and learn the art of living fully in the present moment.
This song is called “Every Little Cell in My Body Is Happy.” Here’s the link to it. A client of mine played this song to her six year old granddaughter who wanted to know what a “cell” is. That was the beginning of some sweet conversations together about the body.
I have been listening to this song every morning since my surgery. It’s been an excellent way to celebrate the sentient cells in my body.
Try this out for the next seven days:
- Find a place where you can sing along with the song.
- Notice what happy, sometimes zany, things the singers do while performing it.
- What do you feel? Let your body dance if it wants to!
- Finally, are you beginning to see the magnificence of your own body? You just might after playing this song for a while!
I will be sending these articles to you every two weeks from now on. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you might be interested in having me coach you as you face any personal or professional obstacles you’re ready to tackle!
