Mindfulness + the Body: How Embodiment Reconnects

Mindfulness has become a buzzword in recent years, with good reason. The practice of paying attention to what is happening right now—in your mind (mindfulness of thoughts), or in your body (physical sensations)—has been shown to have numerous benefits for our mental and physical health. When we focus our whole attention on one thing (our breathing or the sensations in our bodies), we have to then let go of the other things vying for our attention (i.e. anxious thoughts about the future or another type of pain) and are able to find a sense of calm by focusing on a specific experience in the present. By focusing on your breath, you can train your mind to be less reactive and better able to handle stress. Your focus will undoubtedly wander—it's how our brains work—the main thing is to bring it back to exclusively focusing on the breath. This process (focus, wander, refocus) is like a bicep curl. If you want to grow your biceps, you hold something heavy and squeeze your bicep, pulling the heavy thing up to your shoulder. Each time you refocus your mind on what you intended to focus on—you just completed a rep of mindfulness. This is how your ability to focus your mind becomes stronger, by refocusing. No judgment, no criticism, just refocus by mentally letting go of the distraction. It is impossible to experience thoughtlessness—that is NEVER the aim of a mindfulness practice. Simply strengthening your ability to refocus.

The mind and body have a symbiotic relationship, where one goes so the other follows. The mind-body connection is another area where mindfulness can be helpful. Our physical bodies hold a lot of information about our emotions, and by paying attention to the sensations in our bodies, we can learn to understand our emotions better which leads to understanding ourselves better which leads us to places of self-acceptance. 

Throughout the day we all tend to get stuck in our heads. Our thoughts tend to be constant narratives of perception and assumptions of the people around us and the situations we're in, and of judgment and criticism of ourselves and others. These thoughts unexamined tend to lead to internalized negative beliefs about ourselves and others. When unexamined, we forget that thoughts are just thoughts—not facts. When we move our focus out of our thought stream and into our bodies and observe what we're feeling in our bodies, we reconnect two BIG pieces of "the self": the mind and the body.

1. WHAT IS EMBODIMENT?

Embodiment is a term that refers to the mind-body connection. When we are embodied, we are aware of both our minds and our bodies. We can use this awareness to help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us. Embodiment is the practice of paying attention to our bodies and connecting with them on a deeper level. It tends to enable higher levels of mastery of our behavior because when we're living in our head our emotional experiences and the narrative they drive are what tend to drive our choices. This means we are more reactive than responsive thus we posit the external world as having more power over us than us having power over the external world (live from a place of externalized locus of control). When we integrate our minds and bodies, we then are better able to live from an internal locus of control, being aware that we only have control of one person in this world: ourselves—our choices in the words we speak and our behaviors and when we use those choices wisely, they can influence the world around us. 

HOW DO YOU PRACTICE EMBODIMENT? Two options: through mindful movement or inquiry. 

2. HOW CAN MINDFUL MOVEMENT HELP US CONNECT WITH OUR BODIES?

Practices such as yoga or Tai Chi help us to focus on our breath and the movement of our bodies, which can lead to a greater sense of awareness and connection to ourselves. The intention is to notice sensations (tingling, pressure, tension, discomfort, comfort, tightness, etc.) and learn to reinhabit the self and move toward bringing the two (mind and body) together; to move toward healing. You can also focus on your emotional experience and notice where you feel physical sensations that are correlated with that emotion by placing a hand on that place in your body. Mindful movement is any type of movement that is done with kind awareness and intention. It can include qigong, walking, dancing, and stretching. The key is to focus on the sensations of the body as you move and to be present in the moment. These movements allow us to simply spend time with ourselves in a way our modern world doesn't advocate for very often. It allows a greater awareness of self and allowance for kind attention to whatever comes to the present moment.

3. HOW CAN INQUIRY HELP US CONNECT WITH OUR BODIES AND THE WORLD AROUND US? 

We don't very often tend to ask ourselves questions. When we begin this practice of asking ourselves questions about our experience in the present moment—how we are feeling in our bodies and what we are noticing it can help us to become more aware of what is actually happening which leads to greater clarity and understanding. An inquiry of this sort would sound something like: Where are you feeling comfortable in your body right now? Where is there discomfort? Is there a way to make yourself a wee bit more comfortable right now? Did you notice the experience you felt when you adjusted and created a wee bit more comfort? Did it feel like self-nurturing? Is there a way you could make what you're doing less effortful and more pleasurable? . . . and other questions like this.

Both mindful movement and inquiry are valuable tools for embodiment. By paying attention to our bodies, we can learn more about ourselves and the world around us. For example, if you are in a social situation where you feel like you get to be your self—you feel like you belong. Where does that land in your body? How does it feel? If you're in another social situation and you feel like you have to be like the other people there—you feel like you fit in, but you don't necessarily belong. Those two experiences land differently in your body and mind. Take that a step further: if you value your authenticity and want to cultivate a deep sense of belonging, then your embodiment practice might help you make choices to connect to the world around you in a different kind of way. The culture you find yourself in (i.e. your nation to the state you live in (USA) to workplace to social and faith groups to family cultures) is "more than just the scenic backdrop for your developing life; rather, culture is viewed as an active agent in relational processes that shape human possibility" per Maureen Walker of the Stone Center at Wellesley and her Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). Through embodiment we connect to ourselves and the world in ways that align. 

4. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FEEL CONNECTED TO OUR BODIES?

When we are disconnected from our bodies, we may experience a sense of floating or not feeling "real"—this is called disembodiment. This can lead to feelings of disconnection from others and the world around us as well as an alienation from the self. It is highly uncomfortable and most people don't know the antidote is embodiment. I think we underestimate how much disconnection hurts. And it hurts more than our feelings—it can cause physical pain. Feelings of disconnection are often tied with social rejection, social isolation and/or exclusion. These feelings actually share the same neural pathways with feelings of physical pain. Current neuroscience research shows that the pain and feelings of disconnection are often as real as physical pain. The good news is that there are ways to reconnect with others and with ourselves. Just as relationships can damage, relationships are also the tool for healing so our bodies can heal the  disconnection we have from ourselves. Mindful movement and inquiry are two powerful tools for embodiment. 

CONCLUSION

Mindfulness and the body put together become embodiment and are as effective as a lever (a stone and a long bar) when trying to cultivate greater connection with ourselves and the world around us. Through the practices of mindful movement and inquiry, we can explore how paying attention to our bodies can help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us. We can learn how to make choices that move us closer to who we are wanting to be in the world in ways of clarity, well-being, and compassion.

By being present in the moment and curious about our experience, we can develop greater self-awareness and self-compassion.  

If you would like to show up in your life with greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and the ability to see things more clearly, we are pleased to offer a new workshop, Mindfulness + the Body: How Embodiment Reconnects Us to Ourselves and the World. This interactive, experiential workshop will be co-led by a renowned mindfulness teacher and a senior Iyengar yoga instructor.

Through the practices of mindful movement and inquiry, we will explore how paying attention to our bodies can help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us. No experience with mindfulness or yoga is necessary. The workshop will be suitable for beginners as well as those with more experience. Please wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely.

MORE DETAILS ON WHEN/WHERE/HOW/$$ THIS FALL. Click here to express interest and we'll send specific emails straight to your inbox.

We hope you can join us!