What is “Embodiment?”

When I first saw the word “embodiment,” I had no idea what it meant. I saw “embodiment coaches” and “embodiment exercises” on Instagram and wondered if this was just another trendy buzzword.

For me, I couldn’t really understand what embodiment meant until I experienced what it meant to truly be in my body- which happened during my first breathwork session. It was the first time I felt truly aware and present in my body while feeling safe. And it made me realize how I had lived my whole life escaping my body for protection.

I started doing breathwork on a regular basis and also started working with a somatic coach. Our sessions involved me noticing the sensations and emotions in my body as I spoke, becoming aware of what trauma responses felt like in the body, noticing when my nervous system was activated, and doing lots of inner child and parts work. I became better at noticing what certain emotions felt like in my body and over time created more safety in my body to feel and process them.

And over time, I discovered what “embodiment” meant for me- becoming more aware of my body on a daily basis. Acknowledging the wisdom and intelligence of my body. Involving my body in decisions, checking in with it throughout the day. Noticing the emotions coming up, where I feel them in my body, and determining what I need to do. Feeling more connected to my intuition and trusting myself more. Overall, living life with a greater awareness of my body.

As a society we are so disconnected from our bodies, living life on auto-pilot and unaware of how our thoughts, behaviors, and actions are affecting our bodies- and how trauma in our bodies is affecting our thoughts, behaviors, and actions. I lived this way for most of my life. And when we operate solely from our minds, we miss out on all of the information our body has to share.

Becoming aware of our bodies allows us to heal limiting beliefs and unhealthy patterns from not only our minds but from our bodies as well, where trauma is stored. This allows for mind-body congruence- which can provide deeper healing than mindset work alone. And when we have mind-body congruence, we can actually start to embody and radiate love, joy, abundance, empowerment, and confidence.

If you feel like embodiment is something you would like to explore, book a free clarity call here, book a breathwork session here, or email me at hello@laurenjill.com for my coaching package options.