How Do I Know What My Body Is Actually Telling Me?

Step into a gentle space of self-inquiry and inner listening with "My Inner Knowing." In this episode, host Theresa Hubbard invites you to slow down and release the pressure to analyze or remember—simply notice what surfaces within you as you listen.

Through reflective questions, we explore the subtle signals of the body and the art of staying curious with sensations, rather than rushing to interpret or judge them. It offers a powerful prompt: How do you know what your body is actually telling you?

Discover how your body often senses change before your mind finds the meaning, and learn why true understanding takes time and patience.

Tune in to cultivate your ability to listen deeply to yourself and, over time, strengthen your trust in your own inner knowing. If you’re drawn to mindfulness, self-discovery, and gentle wisdom, this episode will inspire you to approach your inner world with more curiosity and compassion.

Transcript

Welcome. Before we begin, Let's slow down. You don't need to follow closely. You don't need to remember anything that's said. There's nothing here to apply. Just notice what happens inside your body as you listen. Where does your attention go? Where does it drift? You might feel recognition. You might feel resistance. Or you might feel nothing at all. All of that is okay. We're going to begin with a question and we're going to let it stay open. How do I know what my body is actually telling me? How do I know what my body is actually telling me? Not what I think it's saying. Not what I immediately assume it means. What is it actually communicating? And how do I know the difference? I want to stay with a moment for a while. Not to analyze it, Not to explain it. Just to stay with it. I remember sitting in a conversation with someone. The moment itself was quiet. Nothing dramatic was happening. But something in my body shifted. A tightening in my stomach. It was subtle. But it was clear. My first reaction was immediate. I assumed it meant something was wrong. Something about the conversation. Something about the other person. My mind began working quickly. Trying to interpret the feeling. Trying to understand what it meant. At one point they asked me a simple question. And I noticed myself pause before answering just briefly. Not long enough for anyone else to notice. But long enough for me to feel the hesitation. Instead of staying with that feeling, I moved past it. I answered the question and the conversation continued. Outwardly, Everything seemed normal. But the sensation in my body stayed. And my mind kept trying to explain it. Later, When I thought back on the moment, Something became more clear. The feeling hadn't been about the other person. At all. It had been about me. About something I was hesitating to say. When we begin paying attention to our bodies, Something interesting often happens. At first, The awareness feels powerful. Signals become noticeable. Sensations become more clear. Tightness, Warmth, A sense of pulling forward or pulling back. And because those signals feel so immediate, It's easy to assume that they are also clear. That if the body feels something strongly, The meaning must be obvious. But the body doesn't always communicate that way. It signals that something inside us is responding. But it doesn't always explain why. A tightening in the chest might mean fear or excitement or anticipation. A sense of hesitation might mean danger or uncertainty or growth that feels unfamiliar. The body notices first and the interpretation comes later. And sometimes our first explanation is simply the fastest one our mind can find. I have three observations about this. The body often detects change before the mind understands it. I'll say it again. The body often detects change before the mind understands it. A strong feeling in the body doesn't always tell us what it means. It tells us what it feels. It tells us something inside us is responding. I'll say it again. A strong feeling in the body doesn't always tell us what it means. It tells us something inside us is responding. Understanding those signals often requires curiosity, Not immediate certainty. I'll say it again. Understanding those signals often requires curiosity, Not immediate certainty. So I want to bring the question back to you. How do you know what your body is actually telling you? When a sensation appears, What meaning do you give it first? Do you assume something is wrong? Do you assume something is right? Do you pause long enough to stay curious? What happens if you allow the feeling to exist for a moment before deciding what it means? This question doesn't resolve quickly. Learning the language of the body takes time. I'm going to say that again. Learning the language of the body takes time. Our body. Signals appear first. Understanding follows later. And sometimes the meaning becomes clearer only after we stay with the sensation long enough to listen. You don't need to decide anything right now. You don't need to interpret what you have felt while listening. Just notice what stayed with you or what didn't. That's enough for today. You can return to the question another time. Thank you for joining me today.