On Resilience

The Physical, Emotional, and Thinking Body

“Resilience is knowing that you are the only one that has the power and the responsibility to pick yourself up.” — Mary Holloway

Resilience is not just an abstract concept; it is a lived experience rooted in the interplay of our physical, emotional, and thinking selves. It’s the ability to adapt and thrive despite life’s challenges, finding strength in the synergy of these dimensions.

So many people face the challenge of rebuilding after the devastations of war, natural disasters, job loss, or personal loss. Even when the ground feels unsteady beneath your feet, resilience is the inner strength that compels you to rise, adapt, and begin again. When you face a challenging moment, it’s essential to rely on your most constant tool: yourself. By tapping into your physical, emotional, and thinking selves, you can navigate obstacles with greater awareness and adaptability.

If one aspect of yourself feels lacking, remember that the other two are there to support you. And if all three feel depleted, you can draw strength from the depths of your soul. Resilience is a skill—one you can nurture by exploring how these layers interact and support each other. Often, one dimension has been subconsciously cultivated more than the others. This exercise invites you to consciously explore each layer, beginning with the thinking body.

  • Thinking (Thoughts and Imagination)

    1. Take a moment to contemplate resilience.

    2. Identify an area in your life where you demonstrate resilience.

    3. Determine whether your resilience in that area is primarily physical, emotional, or thinking-based.

    4. Reflect on an area where you’d like to cultivate more resilience.

    5. Choose one word or phrase that embodies resilience for you.

    6. Select a song that resonates with your idea of resilience.

    Examples of resilience-related words: 

    Flexibility, pliability, suppleness, plasticity, elasticity, spring, durability, strength, sturdiness, toughness, hardiness, strength of character, hardness, adaptability, buoyancy, ability to bounce back.

    7. Now, choose the opposite of your selected word.

    8. Keep these two ideas in mind as we continue.

  • Physical (What You Feel Outside)

    1. Stand up and begin to move around the room at your own pace in your own way.

    2. Focus on the sensations of the air on your skin, the weight of your clothes, and the texture of the ground under your feet.

    3. Notice the weight of your head, the tastes in your mouth, and the smells in the space.

    4. Scan the room with your eyes, taking in the ceiling, the floor, and the corners.

    5. Pay attention to your walking: the distance between steps, the rhythm of your movements, and the spaces between yourself and your environment.

    6. Keeping your chosen word in the back of your mind.

  • Emotional (How You Feel Inside)

    1. Play your chosen song.

    2. Allow the music to awaken your emotional body, guiding your movements.

    3. Reflect on how your emotions influence your physical body.

    4. Notice your feelings: Are you nervous, excited, reserved, confident, open, or anxious?

    5. Observe how your emotions shape your thoughts and how your thoughts, in turn, affect your emotions.

  • 1. Begin to embody your chosen word through your movements.

    2. Move slowly through the space, letting the word inform your gestures.

    3. Gradually increase your speed and daring, navigating around others and exploring challenges.

    4. Transition to embodying the opposite word and note how it shifts your movement patterns and energy.

    Changing the Texture of the Space:

    - Imagine you are carrying weights all over your body.

    - Visualize the floor as lava.

    Changing the Texture of the Body:

    - Imagine your blood is thick.

    - Visualize popcorn or butterflies in your stomach.

    Moving Through the Space:

    - Make eye contact with someone and change your word, noticing how it alters your movement and energy.

    - Experiment with transitioning between Thinking, Physical, and Emotional, or reverse the order.

    - Lower yourself to the floor

  • 1. Take a moment to reflect on the exercise by asking yourself: What surprised you during this experience? How did your chosen word influence your movements, thoughts, and emotions? Did you notice any shifts when transitioning to the opposite word? Which of your three dimensions—thinking, physical, or emotional—felt most natural to engage, and which one challenged you the most?

    2. Consider how your physical, emotional, and thinking bodies feel now compared to when you started.

    3. Share your experience:

       - How did embodying your two words of resilience affect you?

       - Did you encounter challenges when transitioning to the second word?

       - Were there moments when the exercise revealed new movement patterns or insights?

    Resilience is a dynamic interplay between our thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences—an ongoing conversation between the mind, heart, and body that empowers us to face challenges with strength and adaptability. By consciously engaging with all three dimensions, we can better adapt to life’s challenges and uncover new pathways for growth.