Why Spiritual Embodiment?

You may have heard me use the phrase, “spiritual embodiment” and wondered what I mean by that. Well, on one level, it describes viewing our spirituality in an embodied way, and on another, it describes an effort to integrate our spiritual and embodiment practices. However, this is very much easier said than done. There is a long history in western, white-majoritied, patriarchal culture of divorcing spirituality from that which is tangible, bodily, and terrestrial. However, there are many lovely spiritual traditions throughout the world, in which the body and the earth are intrinsic to spiritual belief and practice. My exploration of spiritual embodiment is an attempt to unwind the cultural and societal rigidity around spirituality that we often experience in western society, and find more humanness in our collective stories of seeking the divine. 

Now, much of the societal ideas of the separation of the spiritual from the physical has roots in the Enlightenment. In a time where the preeminence of the scientific method over all other forms of thought, we began to value reason and logic, over faith and experience. This shift went so deep into our cultural fabric, and shaped many of the consecutive societal evolutions, like the Industrial Revolution, from which practices still influence the modern work environment. Another formative influence to this way of thinking was in the interpretations of the writings of Paul in the early Christian church. Up until this time, many cultures held a world view that the spirit world and physical world were closely linked. Early Judaism saw this connection like the layers of a cake, with the spiritual realities just below the surface of the physical realm. Indigenous people in North America saw all of nature as imbued with spirit and that every animate and non-animate thing had spiritual properties, as well as physical. Similarly, early Celtic spiritual practices of animism also presupposed spiritual attributes to earthly beings and materials (such as elements, plants, and locations). Much of these indigenous practices and beliefs were lost or lessened during the colonization of much of the world by European Christian missionaries during the age of exploration. The animistic world view was seen as “primitive” and “supersticious” to colonizers, which further solidified the separation of the spiritual and earthly as “good” or “holy”. These are just a few examples of how shifting world views promoted by the dominant culture (i.e. western, white-bodied, Christian colonizers) imbedded this idea in the collective consciousness that “spirit” and “flesh” are to be kept separate. 

However, we have seen the effects of this disembodied spirituality. We are less connected to ourselves, the rhythms of nature, and our fellow humans than ever before. Most humans adults suffer from chronic levels of stress and burnout, depression and anxiety is rampant among adults and teenagers, and culturally, there is a deficit of hope or purpose in our teleology. We, as a society, are starving for more connection, more presence, more joy, and a more sustainable way to live on this planet. This is where embodied spirituality comes in. We need to create, or rediscover, rituals and practices that can connect us more deeply to the things we so crave- community, nature, purpose, meaning, and hope. By grounding our spirituality into our bodies, we take it from the realm of lofty ideas into the flesh and blood of our lived experience. We get the “dirt under our fingernails”, if you will, of spiritual practices, crafting them in a way that they serve our most ideal lives. And in this real life experience of our spirituality, we discover spiritual methods and meaning that is more aligned with our lived values and the rhythms of our actual life. There are numerous other ways an embodied spirituality can serve us personally and collectively, but I will save those thoughts for another day…

If this idea of spiritual embodiment struck a chord with you, or you would like to hear more about what practices could support your spiritual embodiment process, I’d love to chat with you. Check out my professional website linked above to set up a free consult call, to see if I can help you on your journey to a more embodied spirituality. Take good care, dear ones!