Being disconnected from oneself can feel like stumbling through a fog, where our senses are dulled, and our innate wisdom obscured by the weight of past conditioning. We may have faint and fleeting moments, whispers of that wisdom within, but they are often followed by a loud flood of doubt saying that we couldn’t possibly possess anything so valuable already inside us. However, as those already on the journey to embodiment will attest, deep within every fiber of our being lies a spark of gold, a wealth beyond measure, waiting to be received and embraced. We chase after knowledge like a mirage, mistaking the accumulation of heady information for true understanding and worth, while neglecting and devaluing the simple act of breathing, feeling, receiving, and attuning to the experience happening inside us, which directly connects us to the inherent worthiness we have been seeking. If we knew and believed the value that we already hold inside, we would not be compelled to consume and grasp for that which is outside us. Embodiment, therefore, has yet to become a celebrated practice because it poses a great threat to the foundations and institutions that have constructed society as we know it. However, embodiment is also our greatest hope for a future.
The folly of abandoning our innate value and wisdom often stems from a society steeped in fear and scarcity. The more we buy into the lies of the serpent’s whispers of delusion that consuming stimulating information is building our value and worthiness the further from truth we go. We all face incessant conditioning and scripts that say: “I do not have it, so I must go out and get it.” This way of living and believing creates the fast-paced, buzzy, and disconnected world of urgency that is our ecosystem. It is the water we swim in, so to speak. Consciously or unconsciously, we experience this in our bodies day after day. The experience of urgency has become our homeostasis, our sense of normalcy. So normal, in fact, that noticing the absence of that feeling can be unsettling and uncomfortable.
While there has been a benefit to the pursuit of intellect and knowledge in studying the human experience and how we have arrived at this state as a collective, it is not the human experience itself. It only attempts to explain it. In some ways, it can be easier and more entertaining to chew on concepts that have been birthed out of studying the human experience. However, gnawing on concepts can never satisfy the longing to be connected and fed by the divine spark inside us. Chewing gum can make us forget we are hungry, but it can never truly satiate us. Outside sources cannot replace the beauty and fulfillment of actually immersing oneself in the aliveness of the feeling, breathing body moment to moment.
Reclaiming our connection to the physical self opens doors to vitality, serenity, and inner knowing. To be disconnected from oneself is like being gently nudged aside by unseen forces and allowing the whispers of doubt and fear to take root. Our bodies, tender and fragile, become vulnerable to the intrusion of those outside influences: the scripts of conditioning, echoes of past traumas, and the weight of societal expectations. In other words, when we lose touch with our bodies, we lose our sanctuary.
This journey is not easy nor without its challenges. Learning to stay grounded in the present moment, to be aware of our feeling selves breath by breath, and to embrace all that arises within us, without judgment or resistance, requires a profound commitment. A commitment to ourselves. It requires writing a new script that makes space for our well-being and permission to follow and flow with the rhythms of life. For many, past trauma and wounding can make it difficult to inhabit our bodies fully, trapping us in cycles of pain and dissociation and patterns of behavior that we no longer resonante with but cannot see the pattern enough to have choice around it. By nurturing our physical selves to gently hold and allow our emotional and sensational selves, we pave the way for healing and resilience. To truly heal, we must turn our attention inward, tending to the sensations of our fascial system with gentleness and compassion. For it is only by acknowledging and honoring the wisdom of our bodies that we can release the tightness, numbness, and inflammation that keep us bound in suffering. Even traditional talk therapy, while valuable in its own right, often neglects the intricate wisdom held within our bodies, leaving us with intellectual understanding but burdened with unresolved pain and tension.
Though many may seek solace in practices and rituals, it is important to remember that true embodiment cannot be cultivated through mere repetition or imitation. It is a way of being, a gentle dance of presence and awareness that permeates every aspect of our lives. In a world fraught with distractions and illusions, this commitment to presence, to feeling, to learning the language of sensation, can bring us closer to ourselves in the most wondrous and awe-inspiring way, it will also take us further away from the world we have called home. As we make more of a home inside ourselves, we do grieve the loss of the home we made outside ourselves. Thankfully, that grief is supported by the joy and relief we feel through residing more and more in a place, an inside space, that is much more resonant to the feeling of home—safety, acceptance, unconditional love.
In today's world, we are constantly bombarded with distractions that pull us away from ourselves, enticing us to seek solace in external sources of validation and fulfillment. In doing so, just as the slippery serpent intended, we unknowingly drift further from the essence of who we truly are. In the midst of this whirlwind of distraction, we lose touch with our innermost selves until we no longer recognize the familiar contours of our own being. Our true home becomes a distant memory, obscured by the noise and chaos of the world around us. Amidst the chaos, there is an opportunity to reclaim our sovereignty and to chart our own course. It is a journey fraught with uncertainty and doubt, but also one filled with moments of profound beauty and grace. So, as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of our lives, let us remember to stay grounded in our bodies, to listen to the gentle whispers of our intuition, and to trust in the wisdom that resides within us all. For it is only by embracing our true nature that we can hope to find peace amidst the storm.
True embodiment requires a return to our inner sanctuary, a reawakening of our innate awareness and connection to self. Within the sanctuary of our own being lies a treasure trove of peace, wisdom, and boundless potential of our truest self. It is only when we learn to inhabit this sacred space that we can truly reconnect with the strength and resilience we possess to become, in the outside world, who we know ourselves to be in the depths of our hearts. Feeling into the sensations of our bodies, acknowledging the gift of our existence with each breath, forms the foundation of embodiment. It's a practice of profound simplicity, yet its depth can be intimidating for many, leading us to seek out elaborate systems and methods as a shield against its raw vulnerability.
It begins with a conscious shift in lifestyle, prioritizing moments of stillness and introspection amidst the chaos of daily life. As we cultivate this inner awareness, we become attuned to the patterns of thought and belief that govern our lives, gently unraveling the tangled web of conditioning that holds us captive. In this space of clarity and presence, we begin to reclaim our power and rediscover the wisdom and worth that reside within.
There are many paths toward embodiment, one is to seek out individuals who embody a healed state presence and authenticity in their own being. Individuals who have done their own work to turn towards the pain inside themselves and emerge with a greater capacity to hold all of life. Their subtle energy can act as a catalyst and gentle guide, helping to shift our own understanding and activate a deeper sense of somatic awareness, bypassing the armor of our minds. It is important to understand that merely being in the presence of someone deeply embodied will likely stir up unresolved emotions and memories especially if we carry unprocessed trauma within us. Embodiment is an invitation for us to confront those shadowy places inside with compassion and grace.
The judgment of emotion is ignorance. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with any emotion. To be embodied doesn’t mean to always be in a state of peace or emptiness. Life, which is nature, is always moving, shifting, and challenging us. Anger, rage, sadness, grief, joy, pleasure, peace, excitement are all part of the human experience. They are all different levels and expressions of arousal of the feeling self inside. When we no longer contract to any experience of arousal in the body, we get to welcome ourselves into a somatic and embodied connection that allows us to feel and digest these emotions as they happen so they don’t take up residence and burrow deep inside expressed as various layers of repression years later. As ‘beingness’ stabilizes inside us and we are able to welcome and embody more and more life force.
So why is it so important to be embodied? Because, to disconnect from our bodies is to disconnect from life itself—from our innate value, sovereignty, and alignment with the universe. This disconnection from life is what has led to some of the most horrendous moments in our history of being human. Not only do we copy and paste our way into living generational imprints of trauma through being disembodied humans, but we also miss out on bringing into life the deepest longings of our hearts and dreams. Life requires that we embrace our physical presence and anchor our spiritual essence into the material world; inviting the spark inside to permeate every aspect of our being and emanate out from within us.
Embracing embodiment isn't about achieving perfection or escaping life's challenges. It's about anchoring ourselves in the present moment, in sensations of slowness, softness, and gentle warmth. It’s about welcoming and honoring the full spectrum of human experience. Embodiment is not a stage, a performance, or a model of a perfect life. That doesn’t exist. Embodiment is here to bridge solid connection to our deepest self, which at its core, underneath the bracing, trauma, and fear, I believe, is loving kindness and compassion. Peace and bliss-body union, a tantric experience where dualities are woven together as an ecstatic experience of unity. By being in the body, we remain in direct felt-sense contact with the very life force that has gifted us life to begin with.
So, breathe gently and slowly, feel the rhythm of your own existence, and know that within your body lies the key to profound treasure. In each moment, you have the power to reconnect, to release, and to embrace the richness of being truly alive. Among the noise, there are those who embody and radiate authenticity, offering a beacon of somatic wisdom and a genuine presence of acceptance and compassion for all life.
Comments