EMBODIMENT.
To be in the body, truly, and feel the body.
Experience it.
Be present.
Tuned in.
find connection.
Listen.
Think about it for a minute: how much time do you actually spend being “connected” in mind and body? Maybe it happens a few times a day, when you’re at yoga or during your morning meditation? Maybe you tune in for a moment while you are out for a walk or a hike? Maybe you take a few deep breaths before you fall asleep at the end of the day…
For most, they are spending the majority of their days DISconnected: tuned out, in their minds; churning and planning, organizing and sorting. Not paying much attention at all to the inner workings or feelings of the body and soul, the subtle signals or discomforts being dismissed or disregarded.
The mind says: “never mind that, we are focused on the task at hand, no time for body thoughts or emotions”. Sound familiar?
I know it very well. It’s a busy life and we are consistently focused on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to remember the mile long to-do list, looking after work and business and home tasks, AND hold space for loved ones, children, partners, or neighbours in need.
It’s a lot.
I do understand.
But.
I have been teaching about and working with clients who struggle deeply with their relationship with their body and/or food for years now and this is one area that cannot be denied it’s authority.
If we spend our time being disconnected from our body, living up in our minds, focused on busy-ness and to-do lists, we are missing out on what is happening in the rest of our body. The severity of this disconnectness is that we will MISS THE SIGNALS that the body is sending with regards to: discomfort, stress, strain, tightness, soreness, etc., and all the feelings that the body needs to hold will get STUCK there without being properly processed by the mind & soul. We will miss body language such as: “I’m full, I’m hungry, I’m uncomfortable, I’m strained, I’m triggered, I’m upset, I’m overwhelmed, I’m traumatized” and the message we send to our body instead, is this:
YOU ARE NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH for me to listen.
Here’s the thing: although we cannot possibly be 100% tuned in and connected at all times, the dismissive disregard that we give embodiment in our society today is DETRIMENTAL to our relationship to food & body and to those of our children and is CONTRIBUTING to the ongoing and pervasive issues with food & body that continue to persist.
How can we have a good relationship with food, if we cannot listen to the messaging from the body? Our body’s digestive system makes up roughly 60% of our entire body. From the mouth all the way through to the anus, food connects with us before it has even entered the mouth by stimulating the senses and igniting the digestive enzymes. Food spends an average of 1 - 3 days travelling through the gastrointestinal system getting broken down and distributed. The intestinal system is also intricately connected to the brain: the enteric nervous system experiences sensations and sends signals from the gut up to the brain in accordance with our emotions.
We MUST then, become the food we eat, no matter which way you look at it. Connecting with the body and the body’s processing of food is an essential component to being a healthy eater, one that is all too often overlooked.
AND how can we have a good relationship with the body, if we cannot tune to it’s messaging? The body is our vessel for living: our cells, the nervous system, the GI tract, our blood & tissues, organs, and skeletal structure, all together make up our body. If the mind & spirit cannot be tuned in to the body’s needs, desires, asks, feelings, then we cannot attain a positive relationship with it.
Consider this: if every time your child asked you a question or cried a complaint, expressed about their troubles or excitements, you turned your back and walked away, how could you ever have a positive relationship with them? You couldn’t.
It’s the same with your body. If you are not listening, the body cannot be heard.
How then, can we use EMBODIMENT practices to help us tune in and strengthen the bond between mind and body?
Incorporate Regular Embodiment Practices: Here is where YOGA is a true superstar - bringing you in, grounding you, pulling in your breath and your mind so that the focus is inward & present with the body. Another great embodiment practice is DANCE: with so many forms & styles, dancing brings your focus into the body, its movement & coordination, its rhythm. A few other embodiment practices: breath work, Tai Chi, Drumming circles, also walking, hiking, running, swimming, particularly long distance. Whatever you choose, aim to incorporate regular embodiment practices to strengthen the relationship between mind & body and encourage better communication there.
Practice Intuitive Eating: Incorporating as many intuitive eating practices regularly with food is an amazing way to become more connected to your food and to your relationship with food. A few of my favourites: Slow Down, Tune In, Reject the Diet Mentality, Pay Attention to Your Senses, Eat in a Quiet Environment & At the Table, De-Stress/Deep Breathe. Read more on Intuitive Eating here.
Remember Joy & Passion: Most of the clients I work with have lost themselves to some degree and are looking to find a way back. I will often ask them to list the things in life that bring them joy or passion - or I’ll ask: “what lights you up”? It may take a little while for them to remember, but when they do, there is something that unleashes within, their eyes begin to sparkle, and together we find a way to bring those things back into their lives.
What makes you “light up”? And how can you bring more of that into your life?
Spend Time in Nature: We know this. We hear and read about it often. But it is the ones who take this advice to heart and apply it that are making the biggest headway. Nature has a very unique way of reuniting us with the greater world and reconnecting us to our spiritual selves. Nature is calm and curious, gentle and wise, she has much to teach and remind us about who we are and where we come from.
Eat Real Food: We cannot possibly find connection in food that comes from a factory. Real food that comes from the earth, cultivated and nurtured by the hands and hearts of fellow humans and nature together, this is the food that can truly nourish and heal our bodies. The more you can connect with your food: source it locally, buy from local farmers & neighbours, grow it in your own garden, the more you will appreciate the food and the more it will truly feed your soul.
Work with a Professional: Time and time again, I watch my clients transform through the work we do. I don’t take all the credit, in fact, I take very little, because the work, the healing, the growing, the letting go and reaching forward, the ignition & heart opening all comes from them. Working with someone who can help you shift your mindset, hold you accountable, teach you and support you through it all, that is often just the right amount of motivation. And it is so worth the effort!
Try a Retreat: So much growth & support can take place in the sanctity & protectiveness of a retreat. The connection that happens among participants, the release & expression, the uninterrupted learning experience, the relaxation & peacefulness, is utterly invaluable!
If you have not yet had a look at my upcoming Women’s Embody Retreat, please do and consider how this may be a beneficial, or even transformational, experience for you. Also, if you have other loved ones in your life that may benefit from this magical weekend, please pass along the information to them. 🙏