What is Embodiment?

‘Embodied’ is the name of my new project. It’s a term I encountered via meditation and yoga, which I have been exploring for the last 10-15 years. To me, it means moving out of abstract thoughts (‘the head’) and into a consciousness grounded in the experience of the present moment (‘the body’). I have experienced this switch when I do body scan meditations, and discovering Tara Brach’s guided meditations has been instrumental in the development of my daily practice.

I’m curious about how this feeling of embodiment can be expanded into the rest of my life, not just when I’m meditating. Apart from the 20 minutes or so per day that I’m meditating, I feel mostly disconnected and dissociated from my body. I would like to connect more with my body, become more conscious of how it feels, and be more responsive to the cues it gives me.

My body is a source of shame, and has been forced into the shadows of my awareness. I have purposefully cut myself off from it, but it’s time to bring it out into the light.

My past attempts to address my body have been focused on how my body looks from the outside. That has led to a toxic relationship between my conscious mind (trying to discipline the body), and the actual felt experience of the body itself. I want to move my body more, but my attempts at exercise leave me fatigued and in pain. Hopefully by being more consciously embodied, I can discover a kinder and gentler way of movement.

Ultimately I would like to feel more at home in my body; I’m curious where this project will lead.