Why embodiment?
Embodiment.
This concept is all the rage now.
Even Danielle LaPorte, author of The Desire Map, who set thousands on fire for over a decade with her pointed goal-setting question, “How do I want to feel?”, has evolved this self-inquiry to, “What do I want to embody?”
I chuckle to think that even while the name of my practice incorporates the term, I never really defined it.
Maybe because it seemed self-explanatory.
And yet, in the years following the appearance of that term in my consciousness (to replace the original “touch-life-spirit” - anyone remember that?), I’ve come to harbor a growing suspicion that it’s neither all that understood, nor experienced by so many in our culture.
We are, of course, embodied.
By virtue of being in a physical form, it’s kinda unavoidable.
But, it’s almost like our center of orientation, our frame of reference, is more and more ‘out there’ - especially as we gravitate toward the sense of security promised by ‘having more information’.
Our own hearts, guts and ‘felt sense’ are losing their credibility in the face of ‘data’, facts, and just the enticement of the virtual world.
As a result, we are not only losing trust in our own knowing, we are losing the ability to access it.
These past two years - in spite of, or maybe because of - the tumult, I have been able to take deeper dives into what embodiment actually is, how it feels, how it changes everything.
From Michael J Cohen’s ‘nature-connecting’ practices, to Mark Walsh’s Embodiment Unlimited courses (and, of course, the Qigong, the bodywork, and more…) I’ve been coming home to myself in a way that is far deeper and more interesting than just cognitive awareness or mindfulness.
To have been able to navigate the uncertainty and ever-changing narratives with grounding and grace I credit to being to feel and stay connected to a sane and loving reality that ‘out there’ was never going to offer.
I believe this is always the message I’ve been trying to deliver (or embody! ;), and I’m thrilled to have signed on for a teacher training in Embodied Meditation beginning next January.
I long to help others find their way back to their bodies - the ground of all of our experiences and really, the starting point for any kind of meaningful change in one’s life.
I believe this form of meditation is not only a complete stand-alone practice, but will integrate beautifully into my bodywork sessions and the movement coaching.
“Yeah, but what’s it do…?”
I have been appreciating my husband’s challenging (if not sometimes, maddening :) inquiries, like, “Why does embodiment matter?”, and “How will being more aware of my body affect my Monday morning?”, because in this current time of hyper-cognition and virtual reality (and a great deal of trauma) it truly is a hard sell.
“Embodiment” sounds like one more New-Agey catch word.
I get that. And for that reason - because there is SO much that can be said about its applicability to many modern human dramas (including why and how we become dis-embodied) I will be posting a series of some of the benefits as I have experienced them.
But truthfully, there is only so much that can be grasped by the intellect about what embodiment is - that’s the nature of it.
You have to experience it for yourself. :)
“This is why embodiment is trending right now: the times necessitate it.
In times of chaos, the body is an anchor.
In times of mistrust and “post-truth”, the body is a source of wisdom.
In a time of disconnection, the body is where reconnecting begins. First to ourselves, then through that to meaning, then to each other, and vitally, to the planet.”
~ Mark Walsh, Embodiment Unlimited
