THE EMBODY LAB BLOG
Interested in writing for us? Submit your work here.
Our Breathing Body: Breathing Practices to Attune to Your Nervous System and Come Back to Your Center
Our breath is a window into our bodily state (nervous system state) and is also the fastest way to modulate our bodily state and intervene at the physiological level. By changing our physiology, the breath has the power to affect our nervous system state and the emerging feelings, emotions, behaviors, and thoughts.
Burnout and the Radical Path of Non-Abandonment of Self
It takes an enormous amount of courage and vulnerability to talk about and get curious about burnout. At its core, burnout actually reflects a very important set of primal human needs and wishes - safety, belonging, and dignity. Burnout is simply a response to overwhelming life experiences. An adaptive strategy to the underlying need for safety, slowing down, and a holding environment where all parts of oneself are welcome, seen, heard, and acknowledged.
Holiday Stress: 5 Ways to Stay True to You When Visiting Family
Are you feeling the stress of the holidays? You’re not alone. The holidays can be the most stressful time of year for many if not most of us: in the U.S., a whopping 89% of adults say that anticipating family conflict, among other factors, causes them stress at this time of year.
If you’re choosing to spend your holidays with family, here are some somatic and cognitive practices to support you as you navigate the joys and challenges of the season.
Unlocking Emotional Release: A Somatic Tool to Release Anger
Imagine having a tool that not only liberates pent-up anger and tension but also empowers your personal boundaries, safeguarding your emotional well-being. In this article, we'll embark on a transformative journey to unearth the power of somatic healing.
Jealousy and the Radical Path of Non-Abandonment of Self
At its core, jealousy reflects a very important set of needs and wishes. Jealousy is simply a response to life experiences. An adaptive strategy to the underlying need for safety, love, and connection.
How I Found Somatic Healing
The first time I ever experienced an emotion in my body was one day in a yin yoga class, in pigeon pose. I felt these sensations bubbling up from deep within my hips, rising to the surface when I had historically fought so hard to push them down throughout my usual day-to-day life.
What is Ukemi?
“How do you ~do~ that?” is a frequent question usually referring to ukemi when directed to me. The quiet falls, smooth rolls, breakfalls, high falls, quick get ups, strong attacks - there are so many tangible skills, but the sum of all those together still don’t quite capture great ukemi. An uke can learn, practice, and do all those things, but where’s the je ne sais quoi?
Somatic Flow Writing Practice - The “One Living at the Edge”
Somatic Flow Writing is a practice to connect with our wisest Self. This wise Self is within each and every one of us and is also known as our true nature, higher self, or even Grace. The goal is for you to get curious about this version of you who is the natural leader of all the other parts that live inside.
Embracing Nature: Eco Therapy for Somatic Trauma Healing
Eco therapy, also known as nature therapy or “green therapy”, is a therapeutic approach that taps into the healing power of nature to address various mental and physical health issues. Drawing inspiration from the vast expanses of natural resources and the calming effects of the great outdoors, eco therapy offers a holistic path towards healing and personal growth.
Excerpt from “The Mind-Body Guide to the Twelve Steps: Finding Joy, Sensuality, and Pleasure in Recovery—Integrative Spiritual and Somatic Practices for Healing from Trauma and Addiction”
Twelve Step recovery offers a profound approach for recovery from all types of addictions. The Steps can bring awareness to, and eventually freedom from, our dependency on unhealthy patterns, substances, and behaviors—whether it be drugs, alcohol, or sugar; overeating or undereating or compulsive exercise; compulsive shopping, workaholism, debting, or underearning; technology or sex or gambling or unhealthy relational dynamics—all of the ever-present behaviors that result in the devastation of our bodies, our relationships, and the Earth.
Reigniting the “Spark” Through Intimacy Coaching
As partners become more familiar and comfortable with each other, it is natural to begin moving from the “honeymoon phase” into a more mature type of love. Some couples may choose to throw the towel; however, with a commitment to growth, couples can continue to deepen their connection far beyond the initial rush of new love. Intimacy coaching is one tool that can help couples accomplish just that.
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for Anxiety, Depression, and Couples Therapy
By embracing emotions as valuable sources of information and guidance, EFT helps individuals develop deeper self-awareness, cultivate healthier emotional responses, and empower them with the necessary resources to confront challenging situations with resilience and strength.
Mindfulness Therapies for Cultivating Presence and Inner Peace
Mindfulness is the art of being in the present moment, aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without judgment. Emerging from a long line of ancient traditions, mindfulness therapies present an antidote to the stress of fast-paced modern life. They focus on bringing the practitioner back into the present moment and away from ruminating thoughts and anxiety.
The Medicine of Integration: Sustaining the Tensions Between Depth and Breadth in Somatic Practice
To use a wide repertoire successfully, we need to deepen our understanding of each tool without marrying ourselves to it. Widening the repertoire of tools creates choice points, introduces options, and cultivates cognitive flexibility and creative thinking, all factors that promote health for trauma survivors. A trauma-informed approach requires an integration of approaches.
5 Ways to Nurture Somatic Awareness and Self-Regulation in Children
Children’s big emotions can leave us scratching our heads. We want to nurture their young bodies and minds. We also want fewer meltdowns, easier bedtimes, and peaceful transitions. A somatic approach can help navigate challenging emotions and behaviors—especially for those moments when the spaghetti hits the fan.
The N.U.R.S.E. Resiliency Protocol for Empowered Awareness
Working with our triggers to re-tune our nervous system and re-write our story.
Shifting From “I Can’t” to “I Can” to Create a More Compassionate World
If we wish to transform the “I can’t” response into “I can," we are called to touch upon the cultivation of compassion for ourselves. We are called to tap into our courage and strength, to lean towards our own experience of suffering, both for ourselves and for the world.
- Atira Tan
Ease, Restoration & the Art of Non-Doing
When using the Alexander Technique, a practice of non-doing, as the basis of a yoga practice, it quickly brings you into the deeper, more subtle aspects of asana and promotes an attention and sensitivity coming from the collaboration of body and mind.
Through non-doing, we stop fighting the body, we stop dominating the body. We find an OK-ness with how it is. We find an ease and lightness.