Listening to the body

From: A Trackless Path 2
Transcript (available soon)
Audioclip (available soon)

Janet: Some of us have health issues and other experiences that make our body not feel that reliable. So I want to know how to work with that. I mean when your body has often been sort of the central problem in your life, then how do you work with trusting it more? 

Ken: Many years ago a person came to a retreat at Mt. Baldy who had been studying dzogchen for quite awhile. And he'd memorized a poem about this mind broken and in the sea of samsara etc. And in one of our interviews he recited it. It was a beautiful poem. I said, "That's great. What I'd like you to do, make one change. I'd like you to recite that poem and wherever it says mind, say body." He got through two lines and was in tears because he could feel how he was ignoring his body pursuing this awareness and stuff. 

Okay. So your body has been in a lot of pain. And it's caused you a lot of pain. If you ask your body, how would you like to practice? What does your body say? 

Janet: It wants to rest. 

Ken: Okay. Ask your body, do you know how to rest? 

Janet: It knows how to rest. 

Ken: Then, are you willing to let your body rest? 

Janet: I fight it. I fight it. 

Ken: So, is the problem the body or you? 

Janet: I get it. [Very softly.] Yeah. [sighs] 

Ken: You see it's--listening to the body that way--it's very inconvenient because we've developed this whole way of relating to the world that ignores it. And now we're beginning to see that that's somewhat problematic. But your body seemed to know what to do here.