Ronni Umles, MHC

Awaken the body

The body, what an incredible mystery. Just one enormous organ housing a multitude of smaller organs, broken down into cells, and then what would seem like a non-quantifiable number of atoms, however, seven octillion seems to be the average. Although the body generally operates on automatic, breathing for instance happens regardless of your awareness, it is also one of a few pathways into our unconscious. When paid attention to, the body and all its sensations exist beyond our default operating system. Rather the body can become part of the grander, more abstract roadmap that bridges our conscious and subconscious thoughts, memories, and feelings. By simply shifting your perspective transforms the body image into a vessel, shelter, and home to our mind, emotions, and perhaps even our souls.

Let’s play with this for a moment, but first, it’s important to be aware that any introduction to mindful embodiment work comes with a disclaimer. Start slow. Challenge yourself. Get to know your limits and when you’ve gone too far. You will typically know when you’ve gone too far if you begin to experience something like an anxiety or panic attack versus a cathartic emotional release. I recommend doing this type of exploration concurrent with working with a mental health professional and/or someone trained in trauma-informed bodywork, especially for those with body dysmorphia, active eating disorders, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, Complex PTSD, or other trauma-based symptoms. Now let’s begin.

First, find a safe physical space to settle into. Close your eyes for a few moments and give yourself permission to notice the first thing you do. Do your thoughts immediately begin racing, do you feel an emotion, or something physical?

If your first reaction is to become distracted with thoughts, what happens when you challenge yourself to notice how clothing sits against your skin, feel your feet touching the ground or your weight rested in your seat? If you can identify an emotion, do you feel that anywhere specific in your body, the throat, chest, or belly? Or if you’re taken straight to a physical sensation, how intense does it feel when you give attention to it, and on the reverse, is there an emotion, a thought, or memory that comes up?

Open your eyes and shake out your hands.

Now let’s intentionally play with emotion. Pick any emotion, anger, sadness, joy, frustration, love, or whatever comes to the forefront. Close your eyes, invite that emotion into awareness and briefly scan your body. Are you able to identify a specific sensation, such as clenching of the jaw, tightness of the belly, the closing of the throat, or tightness in the chest? These are just some common sensations we have when we invite awareness of our bodies parallel to our emotions. There is likely a story connected to that emotion and body sensation, often attached to an unprocessed past memory.

Acknowledging that emotion, in that part of your body is enough to allow space for cathartic release. How you release is another essential component of embodiment work and will shift between emotional states. For instance, with anger, you may need to release it by making a noise or perhaps through physical action like punching into a pillow. Love and joy will undoubtedly look different, perhaps that release will be through joyful tears and smiles, placing hands over your heart, and embracing oneself.

When we direct intention and mindfulness to the body our relationship with it gradually begins to shift. Self-inquiry and discernment are essential to developing a response based on curiosity as opposed to one based on judgment. Easier said than done. There a so many reasons why it could be challenging and even incomprehensible for some to adopt a practice such as this. Creating awareness around the body is not for the faint of heart as it requires intention, consistency, and compassion. It may even invite a lifestyle at some point, as the value in such a perspective shift may make it impossible to turn away from treating your body like anything other than a home.

With peace,
Ronni Umles, MHC