Writing & Reflections
The wonder of movement is that it connects with and impacts both our limbic and reptilian brains. In this practice, when you connect the movement with your intention, you are allowing the impact of your intention to resonate through not just your thinking mind but the whole of your human self. In this post we explore the power of the bow as a means of powerful communication outward and inward.
‘Embody’ is one of those words that is getting a lot of use these days. Like most words that become trendy, it is also getting a lot of WRONG, or at the least vague, use.
It is often being used as a replacement for the words ‘be’ or ‘do’ or ‘succeed’ and while there is truth to that, it isn’t the whole truth.
To truly embody something means that you have a full-body, FELT experience of that thing/state/experience. It means that you don’t just know something as thoughts or mental understanding, but that you also feel it as it occurs within the sensations of your body.
You CANNOT develop your embodiment through thinking. You can think about embodiment and that is very different from actually getting into, experiencing and increasing your felt sense/awareness (also known as somatic awareness) of your body.
Have you ever been frozen by the fear of what others were thinking of you?
As a professional dancer, I went through a lot of my training obsessed with those around me were thinking of me, hanging off of every word that my teachers said to make or break my spirits. It was a brutal and debilitating pattern to be stuck in.
In reaching out for help I needed though, I gradually gained and mastered the mindsets and tools I needed to shift this.
The secret lay in learning how to return again and again to what was happening for me on the INSIDE - staying connected to what I was feeling in my body.
Next time you are in a busy public place take a look around you.
Notice people's bodies as they walk by, talking with their friends, looking at their phones or rushing to get somewhere. What do you see? Can you see how what people are thinking and feeling is broadcast through how they move and hold themselves?
'Oh shit, I'm going to be late!' OR '...I don't know about this...' OR 'I'm exhausted!' OR 'I'm beautiful and I know it.'
Our physical presence says so much about who we are. When we make this conscious, we have the power not only to influence how we are perceived but also to genuinely shift how we feel and interact with the world from the inside out. A tall and well supported spine doesn't just tell the world that you are a vibrant and confident person, it tells your inner world the same thing.
So, next time you are rushing to work with your shoulders hunched forward and drawn up to your ears take a moment to breathe deep, relax your shoulders down your back and lengthen that spine of yours. Not only will it tell the world that you feel good about where and who you are, it will help you to genuinely feel that way.
Here's to enjoying being in skin!
