I know we have been talking about embodiment all month, but I also know that you may be asking:
What if being in my body doesn’t feel good? What if it feels painful, scary, or even triggering?
This is the reality for a lot of us for many different reasons. For one, the messages we get from society about our bodies – that we should lose weight, or gain it; be sexy but not too sexy; be pretty but not put in too much effort – often make it hard to love and appreciate our bodies exactly as they are.
And if you have ever experienced trauma related to your body, that can add another layer of difficulty to the relationship you have with it. It may not feel good or safe to just sit with your body and feel it.
So what can you do to make it easier and more pleasurable to tap into the power of embodiment?
Our resident somatic therapist Laura Shook-Guzman joins me to talk about this super important aspect of the embodiment conversation.
We talk about how society’s messages about our bodies create layers of distortion and confusion. We also discuss trauma, including sexual assault, and how that can change our psychological and physical relationship with our bodies.
Laura and I highlight the importance of going slowly in this process and rebuilding our relationship with the body with compassion, gentleness and support.
I think this is such a beautiful way to wrap up a month of discussions about embodiment, and I hope you feel inspired to deepen your own relationship with your body. <3
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why it is hard for so many of us to love and be in our bodies
- Why it is so important to talk about the challenges of embodiment, not just the benefits
- How we ignore cues from our body throughout our lives & days as we try to get things done
- What most women say when asked, “Does your body feel like a value or a liability?”
- How the constant messages from society about how we should look can negatively impact our relationship with our body
- Why we have to start with healing and compassion in this process – not “forcing” ourselves through discomfort and trauma
- How to start to accept that all energy in the body is acceptable
Connect with Guest and/or resources:
- Laura Shook Guzman: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
- Getting Our Bodies Back: Recovering, Healing, and Transformation Through Body-Centered Psychotherapy by Christine Caldwell
- Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, and Waking Up in This Life by Christine Caldwell
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