Body magic.

Welcome to your body! Many of us, myself included, spend our days typing into computers, holding telephones to our ears, slouching in front of the TV. Some days, I'm inside sitting down in the same position from sunup to sundown, with many a longing glance out the window at the breeze in the trees and the sunlight. When do we find time for our bodies? In this culture of the mind, our tendency is to idealize the area behind our eyes and forget everything else. Once or twice a week to yoga or the gym is good, but when do we really give our bodies the attention they deserve?

As our culture becomes ever more complex and cerebral, manual labor is undervalued and taking time off during our days to hike a trail or go biking is all too rare a pleasure. My husband, a yoga teacher/construction worker, makes moving his body top priority in whatever he does. He tells his students, "I don't care whether or not you do yoga, just make sure you move!" A person who moves their body becomes flexible, they live fully grounded in their own earthiness. A healthy, active body is like dark, living loam, a place where ideas and feelings can thrive, a place that fosters tranquility, balance, and lushness. It also gives you accurate perceptions. Lisa Sarasohn says it best in her article, "Your intuition is rooted in your body."

The body's innate wisdom can be infinitely more important than the machinations of the mind. As we give ourselves over to our senses and let them connect to the world around us, we become filled with delicate magic. Fully present with the wind on our faces and the texture of stone under our fingertips, we receive many conscious and subconscious gifts and communications from the world. And we lose our ability to escape our real feelings. If we really sink into our bodies in every moment, we can't lie to ourselves by convincing our brains that we are happy and content with life when our situation actually is causing us pain and suffering. The body's subtle clues become crystal clear. Is your back hurting because you have been sitting too much today? Do you feel overtired? Does your stomach or head start to hurt every time you go to work (or come home)? Does your skin ache to feel the sunlight? Symptoms and discomforts reveal clues to the mystery of what your body needs, and your body knows best. So let the wisdom of your body guide your life today; it may be the smartest thing you've ever done!

Special thanks to Aviva Pitt and Allison Deatherage for cover concept and design.