Get out of the head

[Mjolnir]

Hello,

Over the past weeks I've grown to learn that I'm very much living from my head. I've posted numerous questions on this forum regarding "feeling", where I was searching for the ability to feel and experience feelings. The last few weeks multiple things started to click and I realized that if I had to point to where I was experiencing my life from, I'd point to my head. Constantly thinking, analyzing, rationalizing etc. Luckily the past 6-or-so-years I had the ability start the personal development journey, and only just now recently realized that I unknowingly trained my quality of thinking. The ability to recognize limiting beliefs, thought patterns, behavior, comments, words, and I got to improve in those. Throughout the years I was constantly listening to different things on Youtube, podcasts, I did a course or two, and dabbled in some habits/skills but never had those life changing things you keep hearing everywhere, atleast they weren't obvious. But I'm happy that I now realize that I slowly shaped my quality of thinking and got to develop that part of me.

I used the ability to stay in my head as a defense mechanism when I got bullied as a kid. But it stuck when the bullying stopped. In retrospect it grew to be very handy, as numerous different physical issues had a big impact on my life. The fact that I could stay in my head meant I could keep a distance and be less affected and sort-of continue to live a life. The defense mechanism has served it's purpose, is a valuable skill that could come in handy but it's time to put something else to the foreground.
Now I'd like to learn how to "get into my body", the ability to experience the sensations, feel my heart, feel feelings and start to live from my feeling body, rather than my head.

I'm curious if anyone has any ideas on what I could do to develop this. I used to have a meditation practice but looking back that was centered around my thoughts and thinking and observing. What I'm currently doing is right before I sleep I just lay down and try to do a sort of body scan. Where I try to feel different areas. I notice I move to for example my legs or belly occasionally , but I shift back to my head on automatic mode. I like the exercise and it's effortless so Ill keep doing it. But I'm curious if anyone has other suggestions, are there certain exercises or what not that I could do? Is this a common thing you see around?

Thanks, have a good day! Cheers

 

[BlueOak]

I am right where you are. I don't know if it helps to know, but we are going through the exact same thing. Albeit mine was a parent who acted like a 6 year old raising a 6 year old :D. The point is, many people are exactly where you are now and hopefully coming to the same conclusion.

Have you tried just going to things like https://www.meetup.com/ and finding things going on in your area. Right now with the lockdowns and people isolating this feeling of wanting connection is stronger than its ever been. Good time to go make friends.

In my experience I only felt my heart when I am with others or thinking of others.

[roopepa]

7 hours ago, Mjolnir said:

I'm curious if anyone has any ideas on what I could do to develop this.

This might sound kind of weird advice, but try the Nahms dreamboard thing, and crystals.

Write down what you want on the board and start wearing a crystal around your neck. Why I'm recommending this is because you can't grasp neither with mind and sense-making. It's reeaaally subtle, but it works.

[Space Lizard]

Is it hard to get out of your head and into your body? How about walking, bicycling, running, swimming, yoga, manual labor, sports? For me, a natural geek, this is the most important thing I ever learned. Get out of your head and into your body as much as possible; your body is wise, your mind is crazy!

[gettoefl]

head is fear heart is love, heart is the good feminine side of duality ... to abide there requires getting in step with love however that works for you

[The0Self]

11 hours ago, roopepa said:

This might sound kind of weird advice, but try the Nahms dreamboard thing, and crystals.

Write down what you want on the board and start wearing a crystal around your neck. Why I'm recommending this is because you can't grasp neither with mind and sense-making. It's reeaaally subtle, but it works.

That kind of stuff really does seem to work. More "integrated living" in general can be quite fruitful. Prayer works too, especially inward prayer for alignment with truth, rather than prayer to an external God for some personal benefit.

[hyruga]

You have to let go of old limiting beliefs and embrace new ones. Doing some physical exercises will also help.

Edited January 7, 2022 by hyruga

[WelcometoReality]

On 2022-01-05 at 0:05 AM, Mjolnir said:

I'm curious if anyone has any ideas on what I could do to develop this. I used to have a meditation practice but looking back that was centered around my thoughts and thinking and observing.

It's a good practice to detach from thoughts and "watch" them come and go. Another practice could be to "relax" into being which have more of a feeling quality than an observing one.