"There's a bathroom on the right." ...sung no band ever.
"There's a bad moon on the rise." however, was sung by Credence Clearwater Revival, in Bad Moon Rising. Same song, two different places in space (apparently!).
Lost in Translation
You know when you sing along with the radio and learn the lyrics in a slightly different way?
And then someone points out the correct lyrics.
"There's a bad moon on the rise."
You look at them in disbelief.
“What? No way.
Seriously?!”
You both laugh about the mix up of words. Every time the song comes on after that, the actual words come out crystal clear. The song has been permanently changed to your listening ears.
A similar thing can happen with our bodies.
There’s one sensation that people tend to interpret in two different ways. We call it fear and excitement. It shows up in our bodies as sensations. Those sensations can start out as a tightening in our stomach, our heart beats faster, we get a boost of energy or we tighten up.
Maybe it happens when you see your crush round the corner.
Maybe it happens right before you give a presentation.
And maybe it happens during a serious situation.
That’s our body’s alert system ringing the bell. Alert. Alert! Pay attention here!
Evolutionary speaking, this has been a very effective way to keep us alive. Danger is real and that alert system keeps us safe.
But sometimes it’s also misinterpreted. Sometimes the message gets lost in translation.
Will you feel excited or afraid? Will it give you energy, curious anticipation...or cause your mouth to go dry and ringing in your ears, complete with tunnel vision?
For many of us, it depends on the situation. What happens when we pick up on a situation and our heart starts to race?
This is part of what Sara teaches. Through mindfulness meditation and exercises based in neuroscience practices, Sara gently guides her clients with simple exercises. These exercises train our brain to hear the actual lyrics. Those lyrics are our intuition.
When we slow down and really listen, we start to recognize the language that our bodies have always spoken.
Sometimes we hear the message in a slightly different way. Once she has you tune in with focused attention to sensations that your body expresses, you begin to listen with new ears. Like the misheard lyrics of songs on the radio, once someone points out the correct words, it’s a lot easier to hear.
So now, when you encounter a situation that would normally spin your mind into anxiety or excitement - you'll have the experience and tools to slow down, locate the actual sensations, and listen for the lyrics.
A bathroom on the right? Or a bad moon on the rise?
It's all in the translation.
Sara Snedeker is a Mindfulness Life Coach and Creativity Coach. Here are a couple of ways to contact her:
1. Schedule a 20-min Discovery Call
This introductory phone call will let us know if we're a good fit. We'll schedule a time and chat for 20 minutes. A lot of people feel like they get value just from the 20-min call alone.
2. Book a Coaching Session to work with me one-on-one
One-on-one sessions last for 60 minutes. We can meet in my studio in North Seattle area, online through Skype or by phone.
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