Fleshing out a parts job… I realize this is probably not what you had in mind, but… this can be a particularly difficult practice to live out when in a physically paralyzed body.
When I can’t mobilize and move my legs, my hips, my abdomen… nor “feel” them… what is their job?! When uncontrollable nerve spasticity in those parts beat the living body with no ability to “fight back”, less risking further self-harm… what is those parts job?
To pause and breath… after 30 years, the language of listening reveals deeper answers then just the normality of touch senses or mobile functionality. The legs still provide circulation that controls proper blood pressure. Stability in whole body movements such as transfers to and from a wheelchair. Spasticity becomes a language of the body saying something’s wrong and position needs to change. Attention needs to be given in investigation both to external condition (skin, bone, contact points, etc.) and internal functions (bowel, bladder, circulation, etc.).
Understanding a body parts job extends beyond the traditional world’s expectations of role in a life of disability. Perhaps the same imaginative awareness applies beyond just a “disabled” definition, too.
Thank you for sharing this deeply personal and insightful reflection. Your words illuminate a profound truth—our bodies and their parts, even when faced with limitations or challenges, continue to have purpose, intelligence, and meaning beyond conventional expectations. I hear the depth of your relationship with your body, the ways you’ve learned to listen and respond, and the wisdom that has emerged from that process.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), when we speak of "parts," we’re referring to aspects of the mind, nervous system and the body—thoughts, feelings, sensations, images, and inner voices that hold different roles in our system. But what you’ve described resonates deeply with the heart of this work: learning to listen with curiosity, noticing what is being communicated beyond the surface, and engaging with our inner world (and our bodies) with compassion.
Your reflection expands the conversation in a beautiful way, reminding us that understanding isn’t just about labels or definitions—it’s about presence, attunement, and honouring the full reality of our experience. I truly appreciate you bringing this perspective into the space.
Fleshing out a parts job… I realize this is probably not what you had in mind, but… this can be a particularly difficult practice to live out when in a physically paralyzed body.
When I can’t mobilize and move my legs, my hips, my abdomen… nor “feel” them… what is their job?! When uncontrollable nerve spasticity in those parts beat the living body with no ability to “fight back”, less risking further self-harm… what is those parts job?
To pause and breath… after 30 years, the language of listening reveals deeper answers then just the normality of touch senses or mobile functionality. The legs still provide circulation that controls proper blood pressure. Stability in whole body movements such as transfers to and from a wheelchair. Spasticity becomes a language of the body saying something’s wrong and position needs to change. Attention needs to be given in investigation both to external condition (skin, bone, contact points, etc.) and internal functions (bowel, bladder, circulation, etc.).
Understanding a body parts job extends beyond the traditional world’s expectations of role in a life of disability. Perhaps the same imaginative awareness applies beyond just a “disabled” definition, too.
Thank you for sharing this deeply personal and insightful reflection. Your words illuminate a profound truth—our bodies and their parts, even when faced with limitations or challenges, continue to have purpose, intelligence, and meaning beyond conventional expectations. I hear the depth of your relationship with your body, the ways you’ve learned to listen and respond, and the wisdom that has emerged from that process.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), when we speak of "parts," we’re referring to aspects of the mind, nervous system and the body—thoughts, feelings, sensations, images, and inner voices that hold different roles in our system. But what you’ve described resonates deeply with the heart of this work: learning to listen with curiosity, noticing what is being communicated beyond the surface, and engaging with our inner world (and our bodies) with compassion.
Your reflection expands the conversation in a beautiful way, reminding us that understanding isn’t just about labels or definitions—it’s about presence, attunement, and honouring the full reality of our experience. I truly appreciate you bringing this perspective into the space.