If It’s Not a Full Body Yes, Don’t Do It
Learning when it’s a yes and when it’s a no
Where my indecisive girlies at? If having to make a decision causes you to go into full blown panic mode, join the club. I used to have the hardest time making decisions. It didn’t matter if it was something big, like deciding whether or not I should leave a relationship, or something small and trivial, like deciding what to have for dinner, I would become completely immobilized whenever I was faced with a choice. Needless to say, my inability to make a choice was getting in the way of my life. I either was so afraid of making the wrong choice, I made none at all, or, unsure of what to do, I’d make a decision that ended up feeling off. Making decisions made my mind feel like it had blown a fuse. So what do I do now to avoid a system shutdown? I stopped making decisions with my mind and started letting my body guide me. And I can positively say, multiple major life decisions later (quitting a long-term job, starting my own business, moving across the country), that the full body yes concept is a game changer.
What’s a full body yes?
A full body yes is when something feels fully aligned in heart, mind, gut, and soul. When something is a full body yes, there’s a sense of sureness and certainty in the choice that is felt rather than reasoned.
What does a full body yes feel like?
The hardest part about integrating the full body yes concept into your decision making process will probably be learning what a full body yes feels like. Because we live inside our heads so much the mind is often the loudest guest at the party, we are disconnected from what the rest of the body has to say. Feeling into a full body yes will require you to let yourself receive input from your other senses. Is there a sinking feeling in your gut? Do you feel physically drawn toward that thing or away? Does your soul feel heavy or light? Is your mind cluttered or is it calm and clear? Listening to all these subtle messages and getting curious about what they mean, can help you make authentic choices that feel in alignment.
What often makes decision making so hard is the incoherency between the mind and the heart. Though you may know in your heart what you want to do, your mind tries to rationalize you out of making that choice because it’s not logical. A full body yes doesn’t have to make sense. It’s the choice we make not because our conditioning and preconceived beliefs told us this is the way things should be, but because we know deep inside that it’s the right path.
That being said, a full body yes also doesn’t always have to feel like the safe option. It may be the decision that makes you want to shit your pants, but in a good way. The funny thing about fear is that we experience it in the body in the same way we experience excitement – racing heart, butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, etc. So when a decision scares you, your body may be trying to guide you toward the choice that’ll actually help you grow the most. If we’re not tuned into this constant internal dialogue, it can be difficult uncoding what we’re being told to do, which is why finding a full body yes must also come with the commitment to show up more consciously in all areas of life. Practices that invite a deeper awareness of the mind-body connection, like meditation and yoga, help us get to know ourselves better so we’re better equipped to make decisions.
Learn to honour the yes or no
When your body tells you something is a yes or no, don’t ignore it. When you start listening to and following your gut, your life will completely transform. The full body yes approach can help you push yourself to reach for dreams that felt impossible and set better boundaries so that your time and energy aren’t being wasted. Use the full body yes check to determine what’s best for you so you can start living your truth. This heart-centered approach to decision making will also raise your frequency so more positive and aligned opportunities flow toward you. You no longer have to hold yourself back from what you truly want because of fear or doubts. The full body yes concept empowers us to make decisions for ourselves, as well as builds confidence and trust within ourselves.