Embodiment is the experience of tuning into the subtle yet potent nuances of our experience through our physical sensations, it is an invitation to anchor our spiritual and lived wisdom in our bodies as a pathway to growth, healing, and transformation.
Embodiment is a practice of honoring our physical temple and integrating our emotional and spiritual experiences into our physical existence; it is an homage to the gift that is our human experience grounded on this earth.
As a somatic trauma therapist, I celebrate embodiment as a pillar of our well-being. One of the hallmarks of trauma is disembodiment; a disconnection from ourselves because at some point we didn't feel safe holding our awareness in our bodies and as a survival response, we found comfort detached from our physical sensations. In clinical terms, this is referred to as disassociation.
Disassociation presents in many forms; substance abuse, eating disorders, compulsive sexual behaviors, extreme exercise regimens, and even heavy reliance on spiritual practices that promote a sense of dissolution of the self.
In the somatic therapeutic approach, our first and most critical goal is to find an anchor of safety in the body as a means to begin recalling all of our being back into our present lucid experience. Traditionally, this is often achieved through body presence meditation, resonant breathing, mindful movement, tai chi, chi gong, and body brushing to name a few. More recently, as the stigma around psychedelic use is slowly lifting and scientific research studies expand their reach to better understand the impact of psychedelic therapies on mental health, sacred medicines are quickly gaining ground as a viable option for the treatment of mental health challenges linked to trauma.
Science is demonstrating the psychedelic medicines have an incredible ability to change our perception, help us see our world and reality through a new lens, reduce the emotional charge of traumatic memories, and support us in finding comfort and safety in our bodies.
While large doses of psychedelics can be disorienting especially for trauma survivors, small doses offer a wonderful window of opportunity to gently invite us into a mindful experience of our unfolding reality. As we practice tuning into the subtleties in our experience (see Mindful Microdosing: Subtlety), we begin to deepen our connection to our bodies and support embodied states of being.
Our bodies hold the stories our conscious minds can not access, by accessing the wisdom of our bodies, we are informed and empowered to identify and discharge the activated states that our nervous systems often hold onto in response to trauma. Without embodiment, we do not have access to this knowledge or the opportunity to heal our bodies, mind, and spirit on a deep cellular level. Microdosing is indeed a gateway to embodied states of consciousness with potent gifts and opportunities for profound healing.
