Friday Five: Becoming Embodied
In our everyday lives we are more often than not in a state of doing and producing rather than simply being. We have our many to-do lists and endless tasks we need to complete at any given point in time.
As such, we spend most of our day living up in our minds – ensuring that we stay on schedule and complete our tasks as efficiently as possible. We often move so fast that we rarely take the time to settle into the body and check-in. However, research shows that attending to our bodies through embodiment practices like meditation and yoga can improve overall health and lead to a better sense of well-being.
Receive in today’s Friday Five 5 easy ways to practice embodiment on and off the mat.
1. Embodiment Through Movement
Embodiment is the practice of diving into our internal and bodily sensations to process our experiences.
Movement is one of the ways we can increase awareness of the body and bodily sensations. In particular, asana, or the physical practice of yoga, is an incredible way to exit the cycles of the mind and re-enter the body.
One way to access a connection with our body is to notice what parts of the body hold tension and use movement to release some of that tension.
For example, many of us hold tension in our hips, and doing hip opening exercises can be an effective way of exiting the mind’s cycles and becoming embodied.
Interested in releasing hip tension? Check out these hip exercises:
2. Breathwork
Have you ever noticed how your breath changes depending on your emotional state? Have you noticed tension in your chest or difficulty breathing when feeling anxious? When we are in states of high arousal, such as being on high alert or feeling anxious, our breath tends to be shallow and fast. In these situations, our nervous system is in full gear and in what is known as the “sympathetic response”.
The pace of our breath is actually a pretty good indicator of whether we are in active or calmer states of being. Amazingly, we can control our breath and, as such, also have the power to shift how we react to certain events.
Because our breath is such a powerful tool for connecting with our nervous system, we can use breathing techniques to reconnect with our bodies in the present moment.
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3. Pausing to Cultivate Awareness of the Body
Most of our days are spent sitting or on our feet. Aside from when you experience discomfort, how often do you take notice of these areas of your body?
Taking a few moments throughout the day to bring your attention to areas of your body such as the feet cultivates body awareness and a reconnection with the physical body.
In yoga, engagement of the feet is an integral part of practice. In Sanskrit, this is known as Pada Bandha.
While Pada Bandha is an essential practice in yoga, you can engage this technique at any moment in the way, standing or seated, to tap into a sense of grounding. Take note of the sensations that arise when you actively engage your feet and evenly distribute the weight across all four corners of the foot.
4. Journaling
Journaling can be a great way to process sensations that arise in our bodies throughout the day. Carving space to acknowledge what we feel through journaling can be a powerful tool for practicing embodiment.
With journaling, there may be a tendency to intellectualize the ways we feel or come up with narratives that explain our lived experience. Rather than answering from a purely cognitive perspective, try tapping into the way your body feels in the present and noticing the way that may shift your perspective on a situation.
Taking some timeto sit and answer the following prompts may allow you to form a more profound sense of connection with your body. Importantly, rather than answering from the mind space that tries to fix or deny, answer honestly. Knowing that the answer is just for you and no one else.
i. How do I feel in the present moment?
ii. What sensations are present in my body right now?
iii. Where in the body do I feel those sensations?
5. Engaging in a gentle practice
When we are off the mat, the practice of embodiment is much more difficult. Acknowledging this fact can help us release some of the harshness and negative thoughts that may arise when we face the challenges of becoming embodied.
Becoming embodied is a practice. Like any other practice, embodiment is also a gradual process. It is also a practice in which there is no wrong way to return to your own body at your own pace.
