We often think that in order to come back into a deeper connection with ourselves we need to spend hours and hours on the yoga mat, or dedicate years of training to learn a practice. Of course that can be utterly transformative, but the reality is in most of our lives that is not realistic or achievable.

With a small being (my daughter Sophia) now attached to me for the majority of my day it is increasingly harder to dedicate space and time to specific practices, however I also know that movement and time spent focusing on my body is the most powerful way to check in with my energy, my alignment, my truth and my creativity.

It would be very easy to just dismiss it completely, however I KNOW how crucial it is to my mental and physical wellbeing.

Signs that we are disconnected…

When we are disconnected from our body, we tend to spend a lot of time in our heads, overthinking, over analysing and detaching from our physical existence.

How that shows up for me personally is through anxiety, irritability, frustration, low energy and a general feeling of un-ease. I push and force more, I am less trusting, less connected to my intuition, and generally feel more stressed and overwhelmed.

When we are not connected and listening to our bodies then we won’t hear the whispers until they become shouts. We won’t be in tune with the wisdom that our body is constantly sharing with us - the teachings and guidance.

In the past this dis-embodied way of living led me to panic attacks, unhealthy habits, obsessive and controlling eating habits, injury, a loss of confidence and an overall feeling of numbness.

Please note… For some people, it can feel very unsafe to be in the body. To be truly embodied can feel daunting. This can be for a number of reasons, but for many it is simply because we have not been taught how to express emotions healthily, or we have felt that expressing them is not safe to do so. If this resonates with you then please go gently with any form of embodiment practice, focus on nervous system healing and if need be seek professional support.

Three simple embodiment practices…

Below I am sharing three simple, but powerful practices that can help you come back to a more connected way of being in the body...

FEET FIRST

Perhaps the simplest thing we can do is feel our feet on the floor. When we are stressing and rushing around we tend to literally feel as though our feet don’t touch the ground. When you hear that phrase and actually take it literally it is such an obvious place to start!

The medicine: Take your shoes off and literally feel your feet on the ground. Start at the heel of the foot, then move to the ball of the foot, lift your toes up and wiggle them, then place them back down on the floor. Take time to notice how your feet feel and imagine that you are growing roots from your feet that reach deep down through the earth and provide you with a strong, connected and solid foundation.

Supercharge it: If you can get your bare feet onto grass or the earth in some way that is even better!

HIPS DON’T LIE

Anyone that has been to a yoga class of mine knows that hip circling and wiggling is my favourite thing to do. We store a lot of emotions and baggage in our hips - they are known as the ‘junk draw’ of our body - and so we can get so stuck and stagnant in this area.

The medicine: Moving the hips in circles literally shifts this energy and starts to create more fluidity and freedom. You can start by going in basic circles, in both directions, and then start to make some figures of eight, rock them forwards and backwards and when you feel comfortable, freestyle it and let the hips guide you completely.

Supercharge it: Put on your absolute favourite song and dance it out, letting your hips lead the way!

OPEN HEART

The chest and shoulders can be so tight and tense. Modern day posture is like kryptonite for the heart space. Hunched over desks, phones, steering wheels… not only does this cause physical imbalances and tension, but our breath and energy cannot flow freely when we are closed in this space. When we open the heart space we encourage more awareness and aliveness and it can totally shift the way we project ourselves in life.

The medicine: Take time throughout the day to open up through all four directions of the heart space. The front, the back and the sides…

Interlink your fingers behind you and squeeze your shoulders together to open the front of the heart space.
Give yourself a great big hug by wrapping your arms across your chest, rounding across the back of the shoulders and bringing awareness to the back of the heart space.
Lift your hands above your head and take a side stretch to open up through both sides of the rib cage. Breathe into the spaces you create.

Supercharge it: Bring extra awareness to the heartspace at any time of day, whenever you need loving compassionate attention, by simply placing one or both hands over your chest and taking three slow, conscious breaths. The touch of your hand on the outside of your body is so tender and soothing, as is the touch of the breath on the inside.

WHEN YOU TAKE TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE BODY IN THESE GENTLE AND NOURISHING WAYS, YOU START TO BRING MORE AWARENESS AND MORE CONNECTION. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF STARTING TO RETURN BACK TO A MORE EMBODIED WAY OF LIVING.

I would love to hear if any of these practices support you in your journey. Please do email me, or drop a comment below.