Blog #4 in my Therapeutic Development Series
In my last blog, I described the practice of Core Synchronism and said that bridging this practice and counseling has birthed a new way of being and thinking for me. I call this new way embodied soul. I understand embodied soul as our spiritual experience within the physical body. This concept has become my new passion as well as a professional and personal curiosity.
The more spiritual experiences I have in my body, the more I realize what this concept is and that I want to help others experience it. The old adage really is true; if I am to help others, I first, have to help myself.
As I’ve talked about before in The Body is a Vehicle for Spirit blogs; I believe that our bodies are vehicles during this life. Whether you are Christian, Buddhist, Muslim or another religion, I believe most people can get on board that we are more than just our physical body. Whether you call what’s inside the body your higher self, soul, spirit, inner guide. Sometimes, we have experiences that make it difficult for us to remain in our body. Pain often does this for people. Physical, emotional and psychological pain all can disrupt our ability to remain in the body. Traditional psychotherapists and psychiatrists have a name for the phenomenon of leaving the body when someone experiences trauma; it’s called dissociation.
Embodied soul is the opposite of dissociation; it is the act of filling up our vehicle. It is the practice of coming back again and again to our body. Filling it with our bright eternal light. There’s a reason that in biblical and esoteric texts there are halos around peoples’ heads. We are beings that emit frequency, vibration and light.
Core Synchronism teaches that when we incarnate, our soul needs a physical carrier for it’s light and vibration. The carrier is our cerebrospinal fluid. I already believed that our bodies are vehicles for our spirit before I learned Core. It makes sense that I would be attracted to this practice; I actually had no idea that this was one of the teachings until I was in class the first day. Core is just another puzzle piece in my learning on this earth; just another part of discovering the truth of myself and of life. This is a piece of why I explain embodied soul as our spiritual experience within the physical body. Our very essence comes into the physical body when we incarnate; only when we experience pain do we dis-connect from our physicality.
What happens when we allow ourselves to be fully connected to our physical body? We feel, smell, hear, think, intuit, create, love, manifest and heal substantially more than when we are dis-connected. These are the benefits of being embodied and what I call embodied soul.
What can I do to become more embodied and to experience my embodied soul? There are many, many things to practice faithfully to embody your soul. Dancing, singing, therapy, rolfing, massage, athleticism, etc. The list goes on and on. Pick what works for you. The key is to invite yourself into your body. Here’s a simple exercise to notice if you are in your body. I recommend completing this exercise at a time when you will not be interrupted; turn your phone off.
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
Bring your awareness to your feet. Do they feel warm, cold or hot? Numb?
Move your awareness to your ankles. Is it easy to feel the bones, muscles?
Keep moving your awareness throughout your entire body.
Notice as much as you can.
When you have moved through the whole body;
Imagine a cord of light encompassing your whole waist.
Imagine this grounding cord goes down into the middle of the earth.
Notice if you feel more “grounded” once you are able to imagine this.
What happens if I experience something painful and it’s too much to stay in my body to process it? That’s completely ok. There’s a reason that dissociation happens. It’s a skill we use to deal with pain. It’s ok to come back later with a professional (like a therapist) and process the pain or trauma. It is possible to process severe or chronic trauma. It can be difficult at first, but entirely possible. Miracles do happen. They happen more than our rational mind may be aware of.
The way I work with people in therapy is always encouraging them to be embodied and experience their lives fully. In Core, I create a space where healing can happen and physical blocks are worked through. These two practices help my clients to embody their soul and enjoy their lives more. Pain is always a part of life; it’s how we respond to that pain that will affect our happiness and joy.
If you are an alternative health practitioner i.e., massage therapist, acupuncturist, intuitive, herbalist, etc.; I can teach you skills to encourage your clients to embody their soul. I do not teach counseling skills, but am able to help you invite clients to live embodied. I’ll be writing more for health practitioners, please send me your feedback and any requests for topics you are interested in! I love hearing from you.
Love,
Erin