Embodiment is all the rage right now. We hear it in yoga classes, meditation retreats, and the self-help world cannot stop talking about it. But what exactly is it?

It is hard to pinpoint the exact definition of embodiment.  It is a subjective experience, so it’s going to be different for everyone. Embodiment is not a single definition, explanation, or experience.

Still, it’s not helpful for us to go throwing the word around willy-nilly without some idea of what we’re talking about. So for the sake of this article, I’m going to describe embodiment as “wholeness.” It is the totality of infinite bits and bobs that make up who we are, how we see the world, and how we move through it. I hear a lot of people describe their bodies as “meat suits.” Nothing more than vessels for the brain. But they are so, so much more than that. Everything we experience comes through the body.

Embodiment includes: 

• Movement patterns

• Thoughts

• Feelings

• History

• Posture

• Disposition

• Culture

• Environment

• Biology

• Spiritual experience

• How you think

• How you see

• How you feel

. . . and a whole slew of other things. 

One way to see it is the connection of mind and body. Despite what pop psychology wants us to believe, this is not a new belief. This is something that healers, dancers, and shamans have known for thousands of years. Until recently, science frowned upon it. But now it is becoming widely accepted that we have literal, biological mechanisms in our bodies that synthesize thought, feeling and  emotion with our physical experience. You cannot separate them.

Recall the last time you were angry. Now, see if you can remember how your body responded to that emotion of anger. When I feel angry, my stomach tightens and my face gets flushed. My body tells me that it wants to punch a wall. Right now.

Now recall the last time you hugged someone you love. Can you remember what that felt like in your body? Perhaps it softened, relaxed, and there were even a few tears.

Both of these are examples of embodiment.

If embodiment is so old, why is it the hot new thing in psychology?

If you ask tribal cultures from 200,000 years ago, they wouldn’t have a word for “embodiment” because there was no “disembodiment.” There wasn’t a reason to give it a name because that would indicate there is anything other than embodiment. In 2024, we only use the word to describe something we have separated ourselves from.

Some argue that agriculture was the beginning of this separation. This was when humans began to see bodies as objects or cogs in a wheel, rather than part of the human experience. Others would say it was Christianity that began this separation. People viewed the body as sinful and something to be ashamed of. 

It’s hard to say and I don’t think there is a clear-cut answer to this. More likely, it was a slow declination over several hundred thousand years.

Historically, science has frowned upon the idea of embodiment. It has dismissed the emotional and spiritual experiences of the body as “woo-woo” and unimportant. Through the work of psychologists such as Bessel Van der Kolk and Gabor Mate, science is now validating the concept with fancy words like psychoneuroendocrinimunology. 

Funny how something that’s been around since the beginning of humanity isn’t “real” until Science comes up with a name for it, eh?

So, How do you become embodied?

Embodiment probably isn’t going to be achieved by going to yoga class a few times a week. In fact, for some people it may not have anything to do with moving the body at all. The most athletic, graceful dancer on stage could very well be someone who is not at all embodied. And the paraplegic in the audience could be the most embodied person in the room.

One can move well and have no awareness of the connection with their bodies. In fact, dancers are a perfect example of this. They are often taught techniques that go against the body’s mechanical design and  to “push through the pain.” They can develop superhero-level tolerances for pain and learn to ignore their bodies’ signals.

(This is of course a generalization. It doesn’t mean all dancers are disembodied.The point is hat athleticism has nothing to do with embodiment.)

No one can tell you how to become embodied because it is something very personal and specific to you. We also can’t be 100% embodied all the time. It sounds super cool and “good vibes only” and all, but it doesn’t quite work that way. We all have stress, trauma, and triggers that cause us to disconnect. The ability to disconnect is a good thing because it keeps us alive -   like when you’re in a mountain climbing accident and have to chew off your own hand.

But embodiment can be facilitated, cultivated, and developed with practice. A good way to start is by asking one, simple question every day: “How does this feel in my body?”

You can ask this question many times a day, or you can apply to specific situations such as:

• When you’re eating a meal

• When you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated

• When you feel happy and relaxed

• When you’re making a decision

• Start to react during confrontation

And anything else you can think of. There are always more questions to ask. But this is a starting point to begin strengthening the connectors between your brain and your body. Meditation and movement are also helpful, but don’t get too caught up in believing there’s only one way.. You’re the only person who knows what it feels like to be in your body.

Got neck and shoulder tension?

It could be due to:

• stress and anxiety

• spending a lot of time hunched over

• your  ribcage is stuck and doesn't move when you breathe.
  
  

Before you go and start stretching, try some self-massage techniques. By using a tennis or lacrosse ball, you can roll them out against a wall.  

Creating a little bit of space between your shoulder blades can help:

• ease stress and anxiety

• improve your posture

• allow the spine to move so you can breathe more easily.

The word "meditate" conjures an image of a yogi sitting cross-legged on a mountain top. This is a lovely, calming image and certainly one way to meditate, but by no means the only way.

My first meditation class was in Seattle circa 2012. I had heard from a friend that it might be good for my chronic back pain and since I was desperate for relief, decided to give it a go. I found myself a cushion and followed the teacher's instructions on how to sit properly: legs crossed, shoulders down, back straight, and expected to maintain that position for the duration of the 45-minute class. Not more than a few minutes in, the pain was so intense that I wondered if part of the class involved someone coming along and setting fire to my spine. Breathing felt damn near impossible and holding back tears even more so.

I felt like a complete failure. Other people seemed to float out of the class on little clouds of somatic ecstasy and I was hobbling home in worse pain than when I started

It was a  VERY long time before I tried again.

                                      Here are some things I told myself:

• "I can't meditate because I just can't shut my brain off."

• "I can't sit for long periods of time."

• "I don't have time."

• "There are too many distractions around me."

• "I'm too anxious."

The funny thing is all of these excuses were the exact reasons that I could have benefited from a mindfulness practice. What I was missing was understanding that there is no "right" way to do it

Here are some things I've learned over the years:

• Distractions are part of the practice, whether they are internal (mental, emotional) or external (noise, interruptions)

• You don't have to sit still to meditate. In fact, moving meditation is a perfectly valid approach. (Think tai chi.)

• You don't need to set aside a huge chunk of time. If you can find two minutes to focus on your breath, even if you're doing something else, you'll still benefit.

• External distractions can actually help build resilience and strengthen mindfulness tools for everyday life.

When you're feeling overwhelmed and you can't demand that the world come to a screeching halt while you find a meditation cushion and a salt lamp, here are some things to try:

• Focus on your breath. Even if there is a baby crying next to you in line at the grocery store, you're still going to be breathing so you may as well focus on it. It doesn't make the baby stop crying, but you can acknowledge  it and take your focus back to the breath.

• Exhale all the way.  This is very simple but underrated breathing technique. We tend to focus on the inhale, but we can't fill a container that's already full, so exhaling is important, too - and it's the part of the breath cycle that is most relaxing for your nervous system.

Bonus tip: In order to exhale fully, you probably need to breathe out more than you think you do.

• Acknowledge invasive thoughts and let them pass by. Someone once described this to me as watching conveyor belt sushi pass by- you get to choose which pieces you take and which pieces you let go. (Or if you're vegan, maybe a salad bar?)
  
  

If you're interested in ways to build mindful resilience as well as your connection with your body, here are some ways I can help:

Morning Mediation is a virtual, 30-minute meditation class on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 9:00 a.m. PST. When you sign up, you recieve the link each week and if you are able to hop and join, we'd love to see you. ($10 suggested donation if you join. To sign up, click here.

Sign up to receive studio updates, new classes, and tips for movement and mindfulness. I'll send a video Q&A each week straight to your inbox and of course, I won't forget cute dog photos of Harlequin. To sign up, click here.

80% of Americans experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Around 8% have chronic pain that severely limits or prevents daily activities.  Working on hip and low back mobility can go a long way in mitigating pain, especially for people who spend a lot of sitting for their jobs. (Most of us do.)

This exercise is a yoga-inspired sequence to open up space between the joints in the hip and low back.  At first glance, it looks a lot like moving in and out of child's pose, but there's a twist- incorporating a cat/ cow movement has the added benefit of some variety in breath and movement.

The number and frequency of craniosacral therapy sessions can vary from person to person, just like any treatment. It depends on a number of variables including your treatment goals, severity of symptoms, and what you do (or don't do) outside of sessions. If you're also doing chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, or practicing healthy self-care habits, it's going to make a big difference in the healing process. 

In my practice, I often pair craniosacral therapy with movement such as gentle strength training with kettlebells, resistance bands, or breathwork. I also teach my clients self-massage techniques to boost the effects of our session. Craniosacral therapy is kind of like hitting the "reset" button on the nervous system, creating an opportunity for it to learn and integrate new movement patterns. For many people, this helps the effects of the session last longer.

For decades, chronic pain prevented me from dancing the way I wanted to. My college dance program taught technique, but not how to stay out of a cycle of injuries. Movement has always been a big part of my life and I knew that something was missing from my education. So, I went on a mission to learn as much as I could about how bodies work so that I would never have to retire from dance because of injury.

No matter how much I dove into learning personal training, somatics, bodywork, and any modality I could find, the stubborn nerve pain in my low back would not budge. In the summer of 2021, I had a bad flareup of pain that was so intense I could barely tie my own shoes.  Because there was an appointment shortage during the pandemic, I couldn't get a session with any chiropractors, massage therapists, or physical therapists for months. A friend recommended a craniosacral therapist he knew and I decided to go for it. At that point, I was willing to try anything.

I had heard of craniosacral therapy, but never experienced it. My first session was about three hours and I walked out standing straight up with zero pain! I had no idea what had just happened, but I knew I felt better. It hadn't ocurred to me yet that I wanted to be a practitioner, but there was something to it that interested me.

When I moved into the beautiful studio where I live and work in NE Portland, I re-injured myself moving heavy boxes. I found myself in a lot of pain and a very deep shame spiral over it.  I thought I am here to teach people to move better and help them stay out of pain- and I can't even lift a few boxes without hurting myself?

At the bottom of this shame spiral was a big realization that I needed some new tools for my toolbelt.  I needed to see the body through a new lens, fresh eyes, and learn some new skills. Craniosacral therapy was something that filled in the gaps of what I had missing in my education and my practice.  Over the next ten months, I dove into some pretty intense course work and case studies for my certification. Since then, it has been a wonderful journey and never gets boring.  I believe now, more than ever, that there are just as many ways to heal as there are people on the planet and feel so lucky that I get witness that journey with my clients.

You've spent months or even years in physical therapy. You saw some progress at first, then hit a wall. The pain from that shoulder injury returned with a vengeance. Nothing seems to be working, and you don't know why. 

This is a frustrating cycle that almost all of my craniosacral therapy clients experience. When they come to me for help, it is usually because they've tried everything else. They are beginning to feel hopeless about their treatment plan. 

To be clear, I'm not here to throw shade at the practice of physical therapy or to say that it doesn't work.  There are a lot of  practitioners out there doing  amazing things with their clients and I am lucky to be able to work with some of those professionals - both as a client and as a colleague. So, before you start throwing rocks, let's consider some of the real reasons you may not be seeng results from your physical therapy.

If you're struggling with physical therapy, it's not because the exercises are ineffective. It's also not because the modality doesn't work. If we look at the big picture, we can see that insurance companies only cover a limited number of sessions over time - and that is  not how healing works. 

Healing takes time, frequency and consistency. And our medical system is not designed to support that. When a client shows me the physical therapy exercises they have been doing, they often do not know why they are doing them or how it relates to the rest of their body. This is because the exercises are treating symptoms in isolation and do not address movement patterns in the whole body.

Now, If you don't know why you're doing something or how it connects to something else, you won't be very motivated to do it. This isn't the fault of the PT. There is simply not enough time in a single session, or even over a series of sessions, to teach the tools that will support your long-term healing.

If you're struggling to maintain results from physical therapy, I encourage you to have compassion for yourself. Your body isn't broken. There is nothing wrong with you. This is the way our medical system is designed and it doesn't set us up for success. This is also what I love helping with. Using Craniosacral therapy and movement, we can give your body a boost between PT sessions and deep dive into effective exercises.

One of the most common questions people ask me is "What shoes should I wear?"

There is no one way to answer this question. There are so many variables, including the person's foot type and the It depends on the person's foot type, history of injuries, and the activities they do. The debate between barefoot shoes and arch support is polarizing. But the truth is that there is no one perfect shoe for everyone. The media would love to have us believe that "one shoe fits all," but that is simply not the case. In fact, this belief is what leads to injuries such as ankle sprains, heel pain,  and plantar fasciitis - not the shoes themselves.

Footwear Whack-a-mole

You know that arcade game where something pops up out of a platform with holes in it and you whack it with a hammer? Then it pops again somewhere else, so you whack it again, and keeps going?  Buying shoes can be a lot like that.

You buy a specific shoe for your high arches, but then you get plantar fasciitis. So you buy another pair to fix the plantar fasciitis and end up with bunions. And the game goes on and on . . It can be a painful, frustrating, and expensive journey. 

When we say "support" (as in "arch support"), we generally see that as a positive thing. Support also restricts movement, which we see as a bad thing. In reality, they are one and the same - and this is not good or bad. Feet have a huge capacity for movement. Barefoot shoes are so popular because they allow natural movement of the foot to happen. The caveat to this is that we do not live in a natural world. Most of us spend our time walking around on concrete and other hard surfaces. When we talk about the benefits of barefoot shoes, we often are not taking our environment into consideration.

The solution? There is no right answer. But my unpopular opinion is that is is A-okay to put cushy inserts in a minimalist shoe. I promise the barefoot police will not come after you. It is possible to have a healthy range of motion in your foot and also have a little bit of cushion or support to account for the foot pain that results from standing on hard surfaces.

For some exercises to help acheive a balance of mobility and stability in your feet, check out these videos I made with chiropractor Dr. Fletcher Parker:

band walking
single-leg airplanes
self-massage for your feet

Can treatments of the body really help with mental and emotional pain? Science is finally catching up to what bodyworkers, somatic practitioners, shamans, dancers, and healers have known for thousands of years- that emotions are stored in the body in a physical way. In fact, what was once dismissed by science now has a very fancy word, psychoneuroendocrinimunology. (Say that ten times fast!)

There are physical, biological mechanisms that regulate emotions. Because Craniosacral therapy facilitates movement in the body, it also creates the opportunity for those emotions to be released and processed in ways that cannot always be accessed by talk therapy alone.

Some of the most thoroughly researched books on this topic are The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk and When the Body Says No by Gabor Mate. I highly recommend checking them out, along with the other books listed on the Resources page.

Craniosacral Therapy is a manual, hands-on therapy. It uses a very gentle touch, making it a great method for people with sensitive bodies, chronic pain, or active injuries.  It works by regulating the nervous system to help the body work toward balance and embodiment.  Craniosacral therapy is often mistaken for a style of massage therapy. They are not the same thing, although many massage therapists use it in their practice. It can also be used alongside chiropractic, acupuncture, reiki, or other healing modalities.

In my practice, I sometimes use it in conjunction with movement or light strength training in order to establish healhy patterns and alleviate pain.