In our journey through life, our bodies are not just vessels; they are the sacred texts through which the mysteries of existence are explored. Therefore, each sensation, every emotion, holds the potential to deepen our connection with the universe and with ourselves. Yet, many of us find ourselves living at a distance from these profound truths, estranged from our own flesh due to trauma, disconnection, and the numbing routines of daily existence.
Embodiment is about coming home to our bodies, recognizing them as the ground zero of ecstasy and grief—both essential elements in the art of incarnation.
GRIEF & EMBODIMENT
Grief is often viewed as an unwanted guest, something to be avoided or quickly processed and discarded. But on the contrary, grief is our passageway to cleansing, and closure, and gratitude. You see, we only grieve what we truly value. And to lose what we hold dear requires a time of mourning. My beloved teacher, Sobonfu Somé would often say that “grief is food for the ancestors.” I interpret that to mean that it is a blessing and a necessity to experience and deeply feel sorrow for the loss of the great gifts that we have been given. It is the highest form of thanks.
However, most of us have not been taught to honor our disappointments and losses—on a small scale or on a large scale. Unfortunately that means we harden and shut down and ignore the flow of life and gifts still coming our way. By not expressing grief, it often means we die while we’re still alive.
In training ourselves to experience grief, we might try building a grief altar. So this can be a profound practice in honoring what we have lost and what we are letting go of, anchoring our sorrow in the physical world, and allowing us to process it through our senses.
ECSTASY & EMBODIMENT
Ecstasy, on the other hand, teaches us about the heights of human experience. And it shows us our capacity for joy and pleasure. This can be as simple as the bliss of a warm bath, the laughter shared with a friend, or the satisfaction of a meal that nourishes not just the body but also the soul.
Ecstasy can be found in responding to our body’s needs—hunger, rest, touch—and allowing ourselves the fullness of experiencing them without guilt or reserve. But by engaging in practices like earthing, therapy, and mindful reflection on the foods that sustain us, we open up to a more positive relationship with our bodies. We learn to listen to what our bodies need, which is often more complex than we might initially think. This listening is not passive; it’s an active, engaging practice that enhances our capacity to sit with discomfort and, paradoxically, our ability to experience pleasure.
As we become more attuned to our bodies, we start to unlock the codes hidden within—those microbiome components that beckon joy to rise. So because of this, we tap into the innate genius of our physiological being, discovering that the body knows not only how to live but also how to die. In this knowledge, there is immense freedom and potential.
From Canadian poet rupi kaur:
i will never have
this version of me again
let me slow down
and be with her
–always evolving
Embodiment is not simply a practice but a way of life. It is the profound acceptance of our fleeting presence in this tactile, temporal world. And it is the bow we make to existence, acknowledging that we are here, feeling and alive, in both the painful and magical components of life.
So, this is an invitation to explore and feel the grief and the ecstasy of life as we move more and more towards embodiment.
In shared vulnerability and strength,
