The Benefits of Embodiment: Connecting Mind and Body

By: Stephanie Jones – Registered Provisional Psychologist

In our fast-paced, digital world, getting caught up in our thoughts and losing touch with our physical selves is easy. However, embracing embodiment—being present in our bodies—offers numerous mental, emotional, and physical benefits. The demands of modern life often prioritize speed and efficiency over mindfulness and presence. Rushing from one task to another leaves little time for self-reflection or tuning into bodily needs, leading to a disconnection from one’s physical state.

By emphasizing embodiment, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) help strengthen the mind-body connection, empowering individuals to achieve a more harmonious, connected, and fulfilling existence.

Engaging with our bodies can be a powerful tool for enhancing our quality of life, fostering deeper relationships, and achieving personal growth. In this blog post, I will define embodiment and provide practical strategies to strengthen your mind-body connection.

Embodiment

What does it mean to live in a body? Embodiment is defined as “the representation or expression of something in a tangible or visible form” by Oxford’s English dictionary. But that doesn’t tell us the full story of what it means to feel the breeze dance on our skin or the rumble of a hungry stomach. So… what does it really mean to be “embodied”? 

The Story

Do you remember what stories you were told about your body growing up? What do you tell your body now? 

Our society often tells us stories about the way we should talk about ourselves. For example, that we should love our bodies and care for them. However, as we grow up, we hear the stories that people in our lives are really saying about their bodies or other people’s bodies. On a normal day, we might hear: “I wish I could go swimming but I’m just not confident about my body in a swimsuit” or “you look really good, did you lose weight?”  or “I only date guys who are taller than me.” 

It can become easy to objectify our bodies when we’re used to hearing these same stories. Fiction can feel like fact. Our bodies become things to operate and lose their form, function, and agency. Our body becomes the enemy. 

The Facts

Canadian psychologists and researchers Dr. Niva Piran and Dr. Hillary McBride study embodiment and compile data-backed evidence on preventing an objectification mindset.

Many psychologist services in Calgary offer techniques like Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to help individuals shift from objectification to embodiment, fostering healthier relationships with their bodies.

Next Steps

Here are a few research-backed steps you can take to re-introduce yourself to your body:

• Tell your body that is a “someone, not a something.” 

In Braiding Sweetgrass, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer compares the way we talk about nature, objects, and ourselves. For example, we might say, “they are so wise” about a colleague. But if we were referring to a piece of furniture, we would probably not say, “The couch is so wise.” Kimmerer reminds us to talk to trees and plants the way we talk about others. For example, “that maple tree is wise and, when the seasons change, invites us to share maple syrup.” 

Now try talking about yourself this way. For example, “I am wise and, listening to the wisdom of my body, I trust that I will give my body the nourishment it needs today.” Treat yourself the way you might treat others:  as a someone, not a something. 

• Listen closely. What is your body telling you that it desires?

To figure out what your body desires, McBride recommends actively daydreaming about your needs and wants (both big and small and in between). As you let your mind shift, notice what happens in your body. 

Relationship experts, Drs. John and Julie Gottman, recommend a similar practice that starts with grounding and feeling as relaxed as possible. Once in a state of relaxation and quiet, state a phrase aloud or in your mind about liking or disliking something in your life. Wait. See how your body responds. And then say the opposite of the phrase. Wait and notice what happens in your body. Start with something simple. For example, “I love dogs” and then, “I hate dogs.” Write down the sensations if it helps you to keep track.

• Pay attention to sensations. Give your body what it needs, when it needs it. 

The tagline for this principle would be “self-care.” But what does self-care really mean to you? As important as self-care is, it’s equally important to find the activities that make your body feel cared for. Is a bubble bath your thing or does your body find it can best recharge in nature or at a ball game? There’s no one-size-fits-all plan. Your self-care list can be as unique as you are. 

• Define what feels good for yourself. Don’t let others define it for you.

How do you know what feels good? Practice. Remember when your teacher or boss made you do ice-breakers? What was the physical reaction in your body? What about when you were a kid and ran through the sprinklers? How was that experience similar or different? 

McBride recommends trying out new shapes or movements to discover, as an adult, what feels good in your body. Free movement, such as dance, swaying side to side, or walking to a beat, can bring us back to our body when we are used to being numb or disconnected. Try starting small and tapping your hands on your thighs or your arms while listening to your favourite music. 

• Experience your body as a home or a cherished friend. Build a connection. 

Think of five things that make you feel at home or in a safe spot. Include the five senses whenever possible: The smell of freshly baked bread. The feel of a hug from a loved one. Hearing the words, “I care for you.” The taste of a cup of tea in the company of a friend. The sight of the downy hairs on your arm making a temporary home for a ladybug. 

Pay attention to the way society expects us to compare and try to use what Dr. Marsha Linehan, creator of Dialectal Behaviour Therapy, calls “opposite action”. Tell your body the opposite story. Try writing your body a letter that captures how you feel (or want to feel) about it. If you wrote a poem about the way the light hits your forearm or the way mud feels, squished between your toes… what words would you use? What words would your best friend use?

For more on this topic, please consider reading Dr Niva Piran’s “Journeys of Embodiment At the Intersection of Body and Culture” (2017, Dr. Hillary McBride’s “The Wisdom of Your Body” (2021), or Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” (2013).