When the Body Knows First
Decoding the Body’s Signals of Yes + No
One of the most radical things we can do in a world of noise and constant input is to come back to the wisdom of our own bodies.
Our bodies are always communicating with us—through sensations, through breath, through subtle shifts we often ignore. But most of us were raised to override, numb, or dismiss those signals. We push past exhaustion. We eat when we’re not hungry. We say yes when everything inside of us is whispering no.
This isn’t because we’re broken. It’s because we’ve been conditioned to trust external authority more than our own internal compass. The stories we’ve carried—about being agreeable, productive, or selfless—often drown out the quieter truths of our felt sense.
But the body remembers.
And when we learn how to listen, we begin to reclaim the most natural form of guidance we have.
What Yes + No Feel Like in the Body
The body’s “yes” often shows up as expansion:
A softening in the chest.
A breath that feels fuller, easier.
Expansion, like you’re energetically growing bigger.
A sense of possibility, even if there’s a little nervousness mixed in.
Warmth spreading through the heart or belly.
Energy moving upward—like a gentle lift or buoyancy.
A sense of grounded presence, as if the body is saying I can be here.
The body’s “no” often shows up as contraction:
A tightening in the jaw or belly.
A shallowness in the breath.
Contraction of the body, so it feeling like it’s shrinking.
A heaviness, a pull inward, or even a subtle shutting down.
Shoulders hunching forward or the spine rounding in.
Coldness, numbness, or the sense of “checking out.”
Restlessness or agitation, like the body wanting to escape.
Rewiring Old Stories
When we begin honoring our yes and no, old stories will rise up.
“I’ll disappoint someone if I say no.”
“I should say yes even if I don’t want to.”
“I can’t trust myself.”
This is where the rewiring happens. Each time we pause, feel, and honor the body’s cues—even in small ways—we begin to tell ourselves a new story:
I am trustworthy.
I can listen to my needs.
I can honor my truth without guilt.
Over time, this builds a kind of embodied confidence. A remembering. A rewilding of our natural compass.
Practice: The Body’s Yes + No
I’ve recorded a guided somatic meditation for you to explore your own inner cues. You can listen anytime—before making a decision, when you feel uncertain, or simply as a daily practice of tuning inward.
The more you practice, the clearer your body’s signals become. At first, it may feel faint or confusing. That’s okay. This is a relearning, a soft return to your natural rhythm.
When we honor the body’s yes and no, we begin to live with more ease, more trust, and more alignment with who we truly are.
This is what rewilding looks like on the inside—coming home to yourself.