In this podcast, join me as I explore the transformative power of embodiment and how it can help you access your body's innate wisdom to facilitate healing and personal growth.
I discuss practical ways to connect with your body, reduce stress and anxiety, and optimise your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Whether you want to deepen your self-awareness or find out how it's possible to heal from past traumas, this podcast will provide the tools, insights and signposts you need to learn how to unlock your body's full potential and become the best version of yourself.
In this podcast, join me as I explore the transformative power of embodiment and how it can help you access your body's innate wisdom to facilitate healing and personal growth.
I discuss practical ways to connect with your body, reduce stress and anxiety, and optimise your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Whether you want to deepen your self-awareness or find out how it's possible to heal from past traumas, this podcast will provide the tools, insights and signposts you need to learn how to unlock your body's full potential and become the best version of yourself.
Today I want to talk to you about the wisdom of your body and how the body holds the treasure you need for healing, deep transformation and your power.
And more importantly how you can start to access your body’s healing potential, reduce stress, worry, anxiety and exhaustion, process anger and grief and optimise your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.
As a coach a huge part of what I do is to teach people how to be present with their bodies so that they connect to how they feel in the moment and teach them how to work with their bodies to create healing and lasting personal mental, emotional, physical and spiritual transformation.
I do this by teaching clients to connect to their bodies through the practice of embodiment and take a step back from the often familiar place of emotional avoidance - logic and reasoning of the mind.
This can happen in my private client 1:1 containers, in my workshops and retreats and my online programs such as the ‘better than therapy’ Becoming You 2.0 course.
What is the embodiment and why is it important?
Embodiment refers to the idea that the mind and body are interconnected and that our experiences and emotions are grounded in physical sensations and movements. It involves a deep sense of being present and engaged with our bodies and can help us cultivate greater awareness, empathy, and resilience.
Embodiment is important for several reasons. Firstly, it can help us better understand and regulate our emotions. By becoming more aware of the physical sensations and cues associated with different emotional states, we can learn to recognize and manage these states more effectively.
Secondly, the embodiment can enhance our overall well-being and sense of connection to ourselves and others. When we are embodied, we are more attuned to our own needs and those of others and are better able to communicate and empathize with others.
One thing that I teach my clients, and in-depth in my program Becoming YOU 2.0 is the importance of understanding how your autonomic nervous system works. This has two branches - sympathetic and parasympathetic.
Embodiment is the concept that the body and mind are interconnected and inseparable. The autonomic nervous system plays a key role in this relationship, regulating bodily functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion. By paying attention to and regulating these bodily functions, individuals can improve their overall well-being.
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, which prepares the body for action in response to perceived threats or stressors. However, excessive or chronic sympathetic nervous system arousal can lead to several challenges, including:
Anxiety: Excessive sympathetic nervous system arousal can lead to persistent feelings of anxiety and stress, which can negatively impact a person's mental and physical health.
Cardiovascular problems: Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system can lead to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of cardiovascular disease.
Exhaustion: Prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system can lead to exhaustion and burnout, as the body is constantly in a state of high alert and not able to fully rest and recover.
The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "rest, digest and repair" response, promoting relaxation, digestion, and restoration in the body. Here are three benefits of parasympathetic nervous system activation:
Reduced stress and anxiety: Activating the parasympathetic nervous system can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety by promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.
Improved digestion: The parasympathetic nervous system stimulates digestive processes, including the secretion of digestive enzymes and the contraction of the intestinal muscles, leading to improved digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Better sleep: Parasympathetic nervous system activation promotes relaxation and can lead to better sleep quality and quantity, allowing the body to rest and recover more effectively.
At the end of a vigorous yoga session or a powerful breathwork practice, there will be a period of complete relaxation where you will ordinarily be laying down with your eyes closed or having a soft gaze for a period of up to 10 minutes. The parasympathetic nervous system will be in action.
And it’s in this state that integration takes place where the body may undergo various physiological changes, such as reduced heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, as well as increased circulation and lymphatic drainage. These changes help the body return to a state of balance and support homeostasis, promoting physical and mental well-being.
In a state of deep rest, this is also happening. It’s why getting adequate sleep AND taking regular breaks, even rests or siestas during the day can be incredibly beneficial to your long-term mental health.
The reduction of sleep can lead to short-term impairment in cognitive functions such as attention and memory, as well as long-term consequences such as the increased risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and other neurological disorders.
When you see the body as the vehicle for your healing and wellness you may think twice about what you do with it.
I spent a good 15 years smoking weed from my late teens, pretty much every day and it’s no wonder that my memory is not great and that I experienced prolonged periods of depression and procrastination.
What I was doing was finding an escape from the pain I was experiencing but didn’t understand and didn‘t want to explore or feel.
Shame and a sense of isolation were strong for me, not feel like I fit into mainstream society, so being still, sitting with my feelings and having existential angst was something I avoided.
I spent hour upon hour with my record players and musical instruments using music to channel what I had no words for and no way of really understanding. In many ways the music kept me from spiralling into deeper and darker places, however, the drug use was absolutely a numbing activity so that I didn’t have to feel or process what felt like a complete senate of hopelessness about my life and my future.
It’s no surprise that I spent nearly 20 years djing as a hobby loving the continuous creation of sound and the ability to conduct movement and mood through a soundtrack that could go on for hours.
Even now in my work, I use music to help change my client's states. I often help clients move their bodies sometimes in a carefully choreographed way and sometimes in a very free way to move, dance and shake to move feelings, energy, sensations and emotions around the body.
And I’ll also use specifically recorded musical soundtracks to entrain specific brainwave states using binaural beats to help someone shift their mood, emotions and thought patterns.
Binaural beats are a form of sound therapy that uses two different sound frequencies played in each ear to create a third frequency in the brain, which can help entrain brain waves and promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and enhance healing.
When we have an avoidance to feel, use devices, cigarettes, alcohol, porn, sex, food and more to numb we have the aftershocks of pain and trauma deep in our cells that we daily keep pushing dowing under the surface so we don’t have to see or deal with. One more thing brushed to the side, ignored or brushed under the carpet.
Don’t worry about it was the go-to phrase of a good friend of mine when I was younger and struggled to deal with anxiety, worry and overthinking.
All humans need to feel significant, a sense of belonging, to experience empathy, validation and acknowledgement and if this is missing in key stages of your development as a baby, child, adolescent and young adult then there’s no chance you are going to have consistently healthy habits to deal with your emotions and the challenges you will inevitably face in life.
Emotion stands for E-Motion. Energy in motion. Energy needs to complete its cycle. Energy needs to complete its cycle because it is a fundamental principle of physics known as the Law of Conservation of Energy. This law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another. When energy is used, it is not lost but rather transformed into another form, and for the cycle to be complete, the energy must be transformed back into its original form or another usable form. Thus, for energy to be used efficiently, it must complete its cycle and be conserved throughout its transformations.
Think of all the times you’ve avoided feeling something, pushed down emotion or suppressed a reaction across your lifetime. You have all that emotional energy that unless it is consciously and intentionally shifted and moved through your body, it will lay dormant and eventually will cause you to get sick.
In Western society, particularly in the UK and the US, culturally there’s a sense of needing to work hard and hustle and to pick yourself up and just get on with things.
Military veterans, literally trained to suppress feelings because they can get you and their comrades killed move to civilian life and one of their big struggles is processing their experiences in theatres of war while integrating back into a world without orders and rigid structure for every part of their day. How to move from an authoritarian approach to communication to collaborative. From a get-on-and-do way of living to being comfortable going slow and being. How to connect to your emotions with your loved ones when you are used to compartmentalising your feelings.
We are after all human beings, not human doings, despite what we have learned and may believe.
Suppressed feelings and emotions can contribute to illness in several ways. Emotions such as stress, anxiety, and anger can activate the body's stress response, which can lead to a release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation. Over time, this chronic activation of the stress response can weaken the immune system and contribute to the development of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, strokes and depression.
Additionally, when feelings and emotions are suppressed, they can manifest in physical symptoms such as headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and chronic pain. By acknowledging, processing and healthily expressing emotions, individuals can reduce the risk of illness and promote overall well-being.
The origins of embodiment practice can be traced back to several different sources and traditions. One influential lineage is that of somatic psychotherapy, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as a response to the limitations of traditional talk therapies.
Somatic psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of working with the body as well as the mind and seeks to help clients develop greater awareness of their physical sensations, movements, and patterns of tension.
Another important influence on embodiment work is the field of mindfulness, which has its roots in Buddhist meditation practices. Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment with non-judgmental awareness and can help cultivate greater awareness and acceptance of physical sensations and emotions.
More recently, the embodiment has also been influenced by advances in neuroscience and trauma research, which have highlighted the crucial role of the body in the processing and regulation of emotions.
Overall, the origins of embodiment practice reflect a growing recognition of the importance of integrating the body and mind in the healing process and the need for a more holistic approach to healing and personal growth.
So if you aren’t currently working with an embodiment specialist like me, how can you explore embodiment?
My first piece of guidance would be the process of interoception. This is a term that I was first introduced to in a training with the Trauma Centre for Trauma Sensitive Yoga.
Interoception refers to the process of perceiving and interpreting signals from within the body, including sensations related to the heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and other physiological processes. Interoception is a crucial aspect of the embodiment, as it allows us to develop a deeper awareness and understanding of our internal states and needs.
In terms of embodiment therapeutic practice, interoception can be used as a tool for developing greater self-awareness and regulating emotions. By tuning into our internal sensations and learning to recognize patterns of tension or discomfort, we can gain a deeper understanding of our own needs and how to better care for ourselves. For example, if we notice that we are holding tension in our shoulders or stomach, we might take this as a signal that we need to take a break or engage in some self-care activities.
Overall, the process of interoception is an important aspect of the embodiment, as it allows us to cultivate a deeper connection to our bodies and develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation.
The process of interoception involves several different brain regions and neural pathways. For example, the insula is a brain region that plays a key role in the processing of interoceptive information and is involved in the generation of subjective feelings and emotions. The anterior cingulate cortex is another region that is important for interoception and is involved in regulating attention and emotion.
When people try to work on embodiment, they often face some common challenges that can impede their progress.
Lack of awareness: Many people are not aware of their bodies and the signals they are sending. To overcome this challenge, one can start by focusing on their breath and becoming more aware of their bodily sensations. Mindfulness practices like yoga or meditation can help develop this awareness.
Are you one of those people who needs to be busy, who can’t sit still, who thinks they are being lazy if they do nothing? Who thinks that being still and quiet is a waste of precious time> You might also be someone who could be highly strung, and find it difficult to unwind and relax.
Another challenge can be our Habitual patterns: We often have habitual patterns of movement and posture that can be hard to change. To overcome this challenge, one can engage in movement practices like dance, taking up a martial art, or doing a barre or cardio class at the gym where coordination is required. These practices can help people become more aware of their patterns and develop new ones.
People often have emotional barriers that prevent them from fully inhabiting their bodies. Trauma or negative experiences can cause people to disconnect from their bodies. To overcome this challenge, seek out an embodiment coach like me or a therapist who specializes in trauma-informed care. Body-centred practices like somatic experiencing, trauma-sensitive yoga, and even breathwork can also help people work through emotional barriers.
And of course, that resource which we never seem to have enough of - Time. Many people feel like they don't have enough time to focus on embodiment. To overcome this challenge, you can start with small practices, like taking a few deep breaths before starting work or taking a short walk during a break. Finding moments throughout the day to check in with the sensations in your body can help build a more embodied practice over time.
If you email me at andy@andynathan.co.uk with the subject line Embodiment I will send you an exclusive 16-minute Bodyscan and interoception practice recording which is a taster from my Becoming You 2.0 program. Again if you send me an email to andy@andynathan.co.uk or DM me your email on Instagram or Facebook accounts (@andyjnathan) then I will send you this practice for free.
If you feel isolated and lack a community of like-minded individuals it can be a challenge. To overcome this challenge, seek out online or in-person communities that focus on embodiment practices.
Joining a community class that focuses on intentional mindful movements such as yoga, tai chi or chi gong, attending breathwork classes and mindfulness and meditation classes over time can help build a sense of community and support.
As I teach in my work with my 1:1 clients, in my workshops, retreats and online programs, it’s possible to use your body as an early warning system to guide you to optimal health, transformed mental and emotional well-being and healthy relationships.
Your body has a reaction when you are stuck, worried, excited, bored, in pain, angry, nervous, in love, or overwhelmed.
One of my favourite yoga and embodiment teachers Beverley Nolan sums this up beautifully. She says that Your biology is your biography. Your body holds the story of your life. Every experience is stored in your body.
Remember that early episodes of the podcast explore the brain and thinning a LOT and how this impacts your beliefs and actions. Your challenges and successes.
What would you say if I told you that beliefs live in your body? Your beliefs create a different physiological response in your body. Especially your unconscious beliefs - for example about money, sex, family, education, authority, fun, responsibility, tidiness, keeping busy, being lazy…
Pre-1960s, pre-industrial revolution, First Nations peoples, and native cultures acclaimed the natural world and the remarkable powers of the body.
The ancient Tantric Yogis from thousands of years ago had a fundamental belief that the body is the vehicle for our enlightenment. Every sensation, every emotion, every thought, every movement, every breath - our birth and our death, our entire lived experience ONLY ever takes place in our body. The yogis had a word for vitality and lifeforce - prana. And when prana flowed freely through the body then you would experience good health, clear thinking, a compassionate and generous outlook and a meaningful connection to the natural world around you when the energy was blocked you might feel stuck, anxious, angry, worried, suffer from ill health and more.
Different parts of the body can teach you about different emotions or emotional blockages and challenges. For example, TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine which you may have experienced in your daily life through acupuncture or even yin yoga. The practices of TCM have been around for thousands of years and provide an emotional map for the body which embodiment and somatic practitioners as well as therapists have adopted.
When I did my breathwork training with Transformational Breath which has been around as a method of stress, emotional and trauma release for over 40 years we used a similar emotional body model.
For example
The lungs and chest relate to grief, the diaphragm and kidneys to fear, anger lives in the jaw, liver and belly, and shame and anxiety/nervousness relate to the belly and throat. And it goes on.
When I’m working with a client I often ask them to pause after they have shared something where there has been a profound energy to their words, or how they emphasise a sentence relating to an opinion and experience. So that we can see where they feel it in the body.
Not to diagnose it as anxiety or fear or repression or grief. Rather allow them to get out of their head, out of the intellect and thinking into feeling.
One of the biggest gifts that yoga gave to me was that it gave me permission to feel and not shove down what I was feeling. It gave me a method of experiencing challenge, power, and more in my body. Before then I, as the vast majority of the population do, had learned to avoid feeling and just ‘get on with things’.
I wasn’t that great at that it turns out. I spent most of my time feeling like life was happening to me. I didn’t realise that I had a big victim mindset, that my unhealed unconscious pain and trauma meant that I was reactive, angry, anxious, self-absorbed and often contrary.
As you will have heard in Episode Zero my journey to the work I do has been through seeking to understand my pain and my struggles. When I was a child I had no desire to be a yoga, meditation and mindfulness teacher, a holistic coach specialising in inner child healing and shadow work, a trauma-sensitive facilitator, breathwork, and ancestral trauma facilitator. These things happened as I healed and grew and saw how much my life changed once I learned how the body keeps the score.
All of the different modalities that I first experienced as a participant and then trained in as a professional enable me to get a different perspective on the embodiment.
Fundamentally for me, as I say often to my clients it’s about learning how to drop the mind into the body and experience what’s happening in the present moment.
When we become present in our somatic experience - our physiological, sensory and emotional landscape, we come home to ourselves and when we feel that peace and presence and quiet strength we realise how incredible we and life are!
The term somatic refers to the lived experience of the body, including bodily sensations, movements, and expressions, and the interconnection between mind and body and can be used interchangeably with the embodiment in many instances.
Soma is a Greek word that means "body" or "the living body as distinct from the soul, mind, or psyche." In modern usage, it often refers to the body in a holistic or integrated sense, including physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.
Those of you who are regular listeners will know how passionate I am about breathwork because it helps create nervous system expansion. That means that in a controlled way, we are looking to create a powerful experience of stress in the body while intentionally working on creating a sense of calm and surrender at the same time.
And when I go dipping in the sea in Portobello with my friend Nick and the Edinburgh Blue Balls men’s group, we go into the icy water to practise being present in what is a deeply uncomfortable experience so that we can practice calm breathing and surrender. A practice of presence within the eye of the hurricane.
Another practice I’m tapping back into is the primal roar of lifting heavy weights, which shifts deeply held anger and grief. I’ve left a weights session in tears recently because of what emotions I was able to connect to you and release.
Embodiment work is that it’s the route to freedom - mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
It’s common for me to see the people I work with experience powerful emotional releases including crying, shaking, connecting to anger in a healthy way and a sense of a weight being lifted, feeling lighter and deep inner p
Your ability to be present with the sensations in your body says everything about your ability to be present with the experiences in your life.
Every time something comes up and unconsciously distracts and pushes it down then it’s the root of the addiction. Addiction is being tied to something. Bondage. To not be able to escape.
Freedom is the opposite. It’s a choice. It’s a sense of sovereignty. Embodiment is the root of personal, mental, emotional, physical and spiritual freedom.
As always thank you for listening, if you’ve enjoyed this episode do remember to leave a rating, subscribe and share with your communities on social media and do let me know what you think.
And finally, if you want that free body scan and interoception practice email me with the subject line Embodiment to andy@andynathan.co.uk.
Take care and see you in the next episode.