We seem to be in the age of embodiment? I look at this as a possible movement into an awareness of our consciousness. There is embodied philosophy, embodied yoga, embodied psychology, embodied meditation, embodied psychotherapy, embodied dance and many more directions we can go into this embodied way of being.
If you are exploring this phenomenon like I am, then you may be wondering what embodiment means or feels like? I don’t have the answers but I have been exploring this within myself and in others as to how we perceive and experience our own embodiment. Radix Body Psychotherapists look at many manifestations of how we embody our being. Often in a Radix session, a skilled practitioner can see how the energy or life force travels within the body and the limitations or holding patterns that may impede our connections to the body.
Embodiment is not a new phenomenon within the Radix community. Radix work can facilitate the connections and enhance the moment-to-moment circulation of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and energies through the physical body. Through body work and cognitive integration, there can be an unlocking process of deeply held states of fear, anger, rage, grief, pain or terror. These states are often held unconsciously for necessary reasons of the past. During these processes of exploration of the unconscious, many insights can emerge from the mind/body connections, helping the unfolding and discovery of a felt sense that translates into a body understanding of grounded presence. Freeing of past patterns helps the embodiment process.
Encouraging somatic connections from our body’s intelligence and mindful awareness we can encounter embodied feelings and sensations from a deeper state of consciousness, even experiencing a cellular pulse or cellular breathe. It can feel like the whole body is connected and pulsing. If feels beyond the process of thinking, and more of presence, a centred and grounded state and can often feel beyond words.
If our cells initiate the process then the brain isn’t always the first to know and the unfolding of our embodiment emerges from a space that is pre-cognitive. These deeper states naturally open to feeling more present and in charge of life’s choices and can open to self love and connections with a more engaged sense of purpose. The past held patterns can be unwoven and the joy and life force can move more freely throughout the body.
The more we encounter these states of awareness, the more the evolved memory embodies and this becomes the moment to moment interface of our human beingness in our every day reality. This can take time, practice and good therapy. The shift within can feel like a transformation. However, the body has been giving out somatic messages all along. We can be caught up in our own locked ideas and beliefs and we are often too scared or scarred to let go of our armoured patterns.
As Radix therapists we know how difficult this can be as we have also done the work to unlock our past. Therefore, we all have great compassion for our courageous clients who choose to delve into the unknown and connect to their body memories and evolve into a more embodied state of presence.
Our present moment interface has a sensory feedback integration process from our nervous system and neurological pathways. The more we develop and practice embodied beingness the more awake and alive we feel and the more our neuro pathways are switched on and can remember this state of embodiment. The sensory process includes three sensory feedback systems:
1. Exteroception refers to the sensory experience of the external environment facilitated by sensory neurons which travel from the periphery of the body (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin) to the brain. This can include sights, sounds, smell, tastes and sensations of touch such as the feeling of clothing touching the skin.
2. Proprioception refers to the sensory feedback about the position of the body as related to gravity. This awareness includes knowing if you are sitting upright, leaning to the side, or maintaining balance while standing or walking. Proprioception is facilitated by neurons that bring sensory information from the joints of the body and inner ear to the brain.
3. Interoception involves the sensory experience of the internal body. This can include a sense of hunger, thirst, sleepiness, alertness, body temperature, tension, pain, or restlessness. Interoception provides feedback about the inner emotional experience facilitated by sensory neurons that bring information from muscles, organs, and connective tissue to the brain.
The integration of these three sensory feedback systems explains how we can have a felt sense of self. When our sensory systems are interrelating we may experience more self contact. Therefore, even if we are unaware of a conscious self we are to a degree all embodied.
The felt sense may only be part of the whole experience of embodiment. The embodied process may need the sensory support, however, our embodied consciousness may be a process via an energetic system that is interrelated with the neuro and cellular pathways. I feel embodiment is not just about self-connection but an unimpeded flow of consciousness in and out. Self awareness and embodiment that I have come to understand is not a solo act but an evolution of our consciousness within relationship and to our environment.
Embodiment is more of a congruent flow of thinking, feeling, sensing and experiencing life with deep connections with self and others and maybe there are many different states or ways of being embodied. When I see someone who has flowing grace and pulsing life force with a grounded sense of self and they look through you with empathy and strength. This feels to me like a human being with embodiment and self knowingness.
Embodiment involves our sensory communications, our connections to our physical bodies innate intelligence and to our neurocellular and energetic wisdom. When we are embodied we have access to deep and direct connections and communications with our innate intelligence and our sensory experiences that flow through our body.
Embodiment practices and modalities can foster self awareness and enhance our awareness of our internal and external life experiences and be a support to help us engage and express more fully our aliveness. When we feel embodied our flow of energy has a connection with the sense of grace, presence and self actualisation can feel like a deep spiritual experience. The embodied process helps us to engaged fully in our life and can develop and deepen our capacity for presence, receptivity and compassionate exchange with all our reality
Radix has been exploring embodiment via the work of Wilhelm Reich, Charles Kelly and Alexander Lowen since the 1970’s. Radix Body Centred Psychotherapy invites and explores deep states of being and explores the body, mind, sensations, energy flow and pulsations within the somatic experience and encourages a deepening into being embodied.
Author:
Deborah Burrows (Certified Radix Practitioner)
Photography:
Taken by dance photographer Ron Fung, Melbourne of dancer Aaron Llewellyn from Berlin Germany.
References:
Cohen, B. (2018). Basic neurocellular patterns: Exploring developmental movement. Burchfield Rose.
Schwartz, A., & Maiberger, B. (2018). EMDR Therapy and somatic psychology: Interventions to enhance embodiment in trauma treatment. WW Norton & Co.