For those of you who know me, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with figuring out what it means to live in a body.
To that end, I have spent the last 6 months talking to people from all different perspectives about what it means to be embodied. Everyone seems to have a different definition.
My dancer friends describe embodiment similar to what people know as “flow”. When they are onstage, they have an experience of being one with the music and the movement. But at the end of the dance, they’ll describe “coming back into their body” and remembering that they are on a stage in front of an audience.
My therapist friends describe being embodied as being aware of sensations. They will often direct people to breathe in particular ways and to be aware of the sensations of the breath.
My Buddhist friends are all over the map. On the one hand, being aware of the body and its sensations is a key step in learning to focus your mind and relax into the present. On the other hand, Nature of Mind practices are so based in the subjective experience of the mind that one can begin to wonder if the body exists at all.
And me? I come from a mixed background. I trained in a very precise type of yoga that taught me awareness of the deepest, most esoteric parts of my physical body. At about the same time, I practiced earth-based spirituality which understood the world as energy patterns and multiple dimensions. My physical body was but one form of my being and I could experience my consciousness in realms not bound by the laws of physics.
In all of these conversations, people have struggled to describe what embodiment is, but can more easily relate to being disembodied. Almost everyone agreed that modern people live “in their heads” and that returning to their more animal nature, fully embodied in their physicality, would be beneficial.
So how do we make sense of a life of subtle consciousness bound in a physical form? That is the question we’ll be exploring in Awakened Yoga.
Using movement, breath, and visualizations, you’ll observe the experience of body-mind. How do you relax into your body so that “you” and your “body” are one? What does it feel like to embodied?
If you want to join me, it’s free but you’ll have to subscribe to get the details.
Awakened Yoga Details:
Tuesdays @ 1:00 CST online
Nov 5 - Dec 10 (six weeks)
Zoom (you can leave your camera off and recordings will be available)
Accessible for all bodies and capabilities.
Be prepared to sit comfortably on floor, cushion, or a chair.
This course is free for all subscribers. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can sign up for free here:
When you’re subscribed, you’ll receive the Zoom link on Mondays.
Awakened Body Syllabus
Week 1: Introducing body-mind movement
Week 2: Subtle body movement with the breath
Week 3: Using visualizations to enhance your practice
Week 4: Tight focus vs Open Awareness
Week 5: Thoughts and emotions in movement
Week 6: Movement as prayer
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