Trusting Your Feelings

Your children’s bodies won’t lie to them. If they are feeling tense and uneasy in a situation, this is important information. Caroline Goodell founder of the Institute for Body Awareness explains “There is a relationship between muscle tension and emotional tension. Muscles relax when a person feels comfortable and safe.”

Your children’s bodies are their guides for answering questions like these:

• Am I safe?
• Can I trust this?
• Is this right for me?

You can help them learn to trust their bodies by asking questions about how their bodies are feeling.

• Are your shoulders relaxed or tense?
• Is your breathing shallow or deep?
• Are your eyebrows tightened up or relaxed?

If they find their body is feeling stressed, the next step is for them to figure out why and what might need to change to make them feel better.