What is Embodiment?

Embodiment is a word that has become quite popular in transformative spaces. I have found, as I talk with people about what embodiment is, that there are many interpretations as well as misunderstandings about this concept. I do not profess to be an expert, but I do have experience and a perspective that may help you better understand what embodiment is all about. 

Much can be said about the historical, religious, political and philosophical roots of embodiment. In a nutshell, the concept is that the body influences our life experiences. What we believe about the body greatly impacts how we feel about ourselves, how we think, and how we engage with others and with the world. We can go as far back as the Genesis story in the Bible and the formation of “man” out of the dust of the ground and the breath of life. In that moment, “man” became human in form; he became embodied. 

As much as it seems like embodiment is a “New-agey” idea, it has its roots firmly grounded in history, myth and story. 

We can look at embodiment as simply the state of being fully present and connected to one's body and senses. It also implies that your body is not separate from your mind, experiences, or beliefs. Some believe the body is the container of the soul. The truth is that when your body dies, you, as the incarnated being you are in this lifetime, also dies. We are also developing a clearer understanding that throughout our lifetimes, the body serves as the container of experiences that may not have been fully lived or processed. 

Sensations such as pain, discomfort, and even illnesses can be attributed to unprocessed traumas that, with nowhere to go, can get stuck in the body and wreak havoc with our organs and nervous system. Some leaders in the field of “embodiment” have also made connections between embodied and ancestral trauma, as well as racialized trauma, as part of the embodied experience. 

Somatic experiencing is a way to connect with the body and what the body holds and stores. Movement of any kind, such as yoga, Tai Chi, even swimming, walking, or playing sports can bring the body into balance with the mind and can strengthen the body’s functions. Meditation practices can help us go inward to rebalance, heal, and calm our nervous systems. These are all important practices and activities. Embodiment is also something more. It is mindfully presencing ourselves in the moment by connecting to our bodies, senses, thoughts, and emotions. It is also the quality of how you show up in the world as a whole, resourceful and functioning human being. Embodiment practices help us do this. 

And, maybe, it is even more… perhaps the experience of embodiment is a feeling of oneness with yourself and your full presence on the planet. Maybe it’s an experience of belonging and even interbeing with all that is alive. Imagine that. If you felt this way right now, who might you be able to be, what might you be able to do to make this world a better place?