Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Importance of EmbodimentEmbodiment Practices in Somatic TherapyConnection to Somatic TherapyOther Embodiment Practices to Try

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

The Importance of Embodiment

Embodiment Practices in Somatic Therapy

Connection to Somatic Therapy

Other Embodiment Practices to Try

Close

When people experience the world through their bodies and senses, they may feel grounded in their physical bodies orembodied. The term refers to the mind and body connection.

Embodiment and Somatic Therapy

What Is Somatic Therapy?

In the current world of screens, people often disconnect from their bodies. Therefore, most don’t listen to their body’s sensations or heed its signals when something goes awry. This can, in turn

Embodiment in Research

In one recentstudyabout women in Adelaide, Australia, who hesitated to get help for theirdisordered eating,the concept of embodiment was central.

In this study, scientists discussed how the self is not separate, but aspects of the self are tied together through embodiment. They suggest that approaching severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN) through a paradigm of embodiment can positively influence future therapeutic models.

Current therapeutic models try to divide anorexia nervosa from the body and separate it from the idea of a whole self to achieve recovery. The scientists believe using a an embodiment model reframes our understanding of SE-AN.

Embodiment practices attend to the senses and incorporate your physical being into the healing process. These practices fall under the umbrella of somatic psychology. The term “somatic” means relating to the body.

Somatic therapy focuses on this very important mind/body interface. This form of therapy is inclusive and takes a holistic therapeutic approach.

Rather than focusing on the mind as other therapies do, somatic psychology focuses on the feedback loop between the body and mind. Therefore, having body awareness becomes a crucial healing agent.

Tension and pain no longer take up residence in the body anymore. In this kind of therapy, patients go beyond where verbal communication ortalk therapycan take them. Somatic therapists employ mind-body techniques for the sake of releasing what’s weighing on you physically and emotionally.

Proponents believe that thespirit, attitude, mind, and body should all be considered in treatment as they each have an effect on mental health and vice versa.

What Somatic Therapy Aims to Achieve and How It Incorporates Embodiment

Rather than using language and verbal communication to resolve problems, the aim of somatic therapy is to use your body to help release stress and tension via an embodiment practice.

Yoga as an Embodiment Practice

Yoga is a great example of embodiment therapy as it’s a mind-body practice. You focus on your breath and specific postures to reach a peaceful state.

In a recent paper, scientists discussed how yoga practice could influence how we positively inhabit our bodies.

Mental health practitioners use somatic therapy or embodiment therapy in a variety of ways. They employ body-oriented modalities for the betterment of patients in these types of activities:

To cultivate a deeper sense of connection between your body and mind, here are a few simple embodiment practices that you can try:

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A Word From Verywell

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kiverstein J.The meaning of embodiment.Top Cogn Sci. 2012;4(4):740-758. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2012.01219.xAPA Dictionary of Psychology.Embodied cognition.Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study.J Trauma Stress. 2017;30(3):304-312. doi:10.1002/jts.22189Musolino CM, Warin M, Gilchrist P.Embodiment as a Paradigm for Understanding and Treating SE-AN: Locating the Self in Culture.Front. Psychiatry. 2020.Piran N, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga and the experience of embodiment: a discussion of possible links.Eat Disord. 2020;28(4):330-348. doi:10.1080/10640266.2019.1701350

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kiverstein J.The meaning of embodiment.Top Cogn Sci. 2012;4(4):740-758. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2012.01219.xAPA Dictionary of Psychology.Embodied cognition.Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study.J Trauma Stress. 2017;30(3):304-312. doi:10.1002/jts.22189Musolino CM, Warin M, Gilchrist P.Embodiment as a Paradigm for Understanding and Treating SE-AN: Locating the Self in Culture.Front. Psychiatry. 2020.Piran N, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga and the experience of embodiment: a discussion of possible links.Eat Disord. 2020;28(4):330-348. doi:10.1080/10640266.2019.1701350

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kiverstein J.The meaning of embodiment.Top Cogn Sci. 2012;4(4):740-758. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2012.01219.xAPA Dictionary of Psychology.Embodied cognition.Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study.J Trauma Stress. 2017;30(3):304-312. doi:10.1002/jts.22189Musolino CM, Warin M, Gilchrist P.Embodiment as a Paradigm for Understanding and Treating SE-AN: Locating the Self in Culture.Front. Psychiatry. 2020.Piran N, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga and the experience of embodiment: a discussion of possible links.Eat Disord. 2020;28(4):330-348. doi:10.1080/10640266.2019.1701350

Kiverstein J.The meaning of embodiment.Top Cogn Sci. 2012;4(4):740-758. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2012.01219.x

APA Dictionary of Psychology.Embodied cognition.

Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study.J Trauma Stress. 2017;30(3):304-312. doi:10.1002/jts.22189

Musolino CM, Warin M, Gilchrist P.Embodiment as a Paradigm for Understanding and Treating SE-AN: Locating the Self in Culture.Front. Psychiatry. 2020.

Piran N, Neumark-Sztainer D.Yoga and the experience of embodiment: a discussion of possible links.Eat Disord. 2020;28(4):330-348. doi:10.1080/10640266.2019.1701350

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