Embodiment: The Thing That’s Missing From Your ‘Spiritual’ Journey
In new-age spiritual communities, how often do you hear (or do you say yourself) something like, “it’s so hard to be human!” or “being human feels like a prison” or “I can’t wait for my soul to be free”…
And even though there’s well-meaning behind not overly-identifying with your body, (i.e. ‘you are not your body’…) this kind of thinking allows far too many people to spiritually bypass the very divine experience that it is to be human.
I discovered Embodiment purely through divine guidance — really I say that it chose me. Growing up where Christianity has been the primary religion, from a very young age, it never sat right with me that our bodies are innately sinful.
And later, when I discovered Eastern religions where Transcendentalism was commonplace, it still felt off in the same way to me. That somehow the purpose of life was to transcend this material, earthly realm.
What’s the f*cking point of being here, being human if we’re just meant to NOT be here?!
Through some truly divine experiences, I stumbled upon Embodiment, and everything quickly fell into place for me.
There are even ancient spiritual teachings (such as Nondual Saiva Tantra) that are exactly about Spiritual Embodiment.
Being. Human.
The thing is, this remarkable human body is the ONLY body in which we can experience all other levels of beingness.
Once we exit this body, we no longer can experience our physical senses — taste, touch, smell, sound, voice… these senses are uniquely material.
So many people who are on a ‘spiritual’ or ‘healing’ journey have become so deeply focused on their healing process, that they’ve forgotten to live their lives.
“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played.” ~ Alan Watts
When you leave the body that you’re reading this text from, sure, you’ll be unencumbered by the human, earthly realm… but you’ll also be distinctly unable to do what we do best — FEEL.
For better and for worse, we have gone down a rabbit hole of human-mind stories about everything and anything, that we forget to pay attention to how we feel.
Or, we have suffered a great deal of tragedy, pain or loss, that we choose to numb ourselves from those feelings — thus numbing ourselves from all feeling.
It’s not always easy being human.
But it’s also not always hard either.
It’s everything.
Embodiment is an invitation to fully inhabit the range of your remarkable and precious human body — while you have it.
When you get a taste for the ever-present aliveness that you will one day NOT feel… you will no longer forget to sing and dance along the way.
You will no longer be concerned with others’ opinions or judgments… because you’ll know yourself more solidly and deeply than a hollow judgment could shatter.
“Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~ Mary Oliver
We love the words of people like Alan Watts or Mary Oliver, because these words speak to the core part within each of us that yearns to live fully and deeply, before we perish.
Before our bodies decay, become consumed by maggots, fodder for fungi and become one with the earth again.
That day will come.
For you. For me.
Yes, you may be reborn, reincarnate… I cannot say anything about this. And it’s honestly not of primary concern to me.
Because it doesn’t directly and reverently regard the amazing human, breathing, existing and reading this right now.
You.
If you’re done with bypassing your own, full, lush, deep, precious existence, let’s chat.
Megan is a Certified Feminine Embodiment Coach, Embodied Yoga Instructor, recovering people-pleaser and lover of nature and things that make her laugh. To have a chat about working with her privately, call or text (858) 224-0551 or email support@reikiofsandiego.com. Photo Credit | Greg Rakozy | Unsplash