IDEAS 

Mindfulness and embodiment are powerful tools that can help you cultivate a playful and vibrant life. By paying attention to the present moment and fully inhabiting your body, you can develop a deeper connection to yourself and the world around you. In this module, we'll explore how these practices can support your journey towards living a life full of joy, curiosity, and vitality.

Firstly, mindfulness can help you tune in to your inner world and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself. When you're mindful, you're fully present and engaged with whatever you're doing, without judgment or distraction. This can help you become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, and develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance. By cultivating mindfulness, you can learn to let go of limiting beliefs and negative self-talk, and instead focus on the present moment with a sense of curiosity and openness.

Embodiment is another powerful practice that can help you live a life of playful vitality. When you're embodied, you're fully present in your body and connected to your physical sensations. This can help you develop a greater sense of self-trust and intuition, as well as deepen your connection to your own desires and needs. By practicing embodiment, you can learn to move through the world with more grace and ease, and experience a greater sense of pleasure and joy in everyday activities.

Combining mindfulness and embodiment can create a powerful synergy that can help you live a life of playful vitality. By being fully present in your body and mind, you can develop a greater capacity for joy, creativity, and curiosity. Through practices like meditation, yoga, and mindful movement, you can cultivate a deeper connection to yourself and the world around you, and discover new ways to express yourself and engage with life.

By tuning in to your inner world and fully inhabiting your body, you can develop a deeper sense of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and connection to the present moment. So take some time to explore these practices for yourself, and see how they can support you on your journey towards living a life of playful vitality.

CASE STUDY 

Jean Marc was a brilliant scientist with a mind full of complex and captivating thoughts. He was always lost in the realm of his ideas, creating an illustrious career as a research scientist. He was at the top of his class, and his intelligence was unmatched. But there was a problem, a hitch in his stride.

Jean Marc was so immersed in his thoughts that he consistently ignored everything happening around him and everything happening in his body. He was like a rocket soaring in the skies, ignoring the turbulence and the clouds below. But life has a way of throwing a wrench in even the most perfect of machines.

One day, Jean Marc's wife of many years left him for another man. This sent him reeling, he was a nervous wreck. No matter how much he thought and strategized, he couldn't outthink his deep sadness. He tried everything, therapy, talking to his friends, writing everything out, but nothing seemed to work. His mind was no longer the fortress he thought it was.

Then, when walking on campus, he saw an ad for somatic experiencing classes. He had no idea what it was, but he was desperate for a solution, and so he went to a class. The teacher was gentle and kind, leading them through a body scan. It was then that Jean Marc realized that his body was hurting and needed his attention. He couldn't ignore the physical pain any longer, his mind couldn't solve everything.

He needed to be present, to be in his body in the present moment. He needed to learn how to love his body and be attentive to its needs. It was a revelation, a whole new world that he had never considered before. And so, he embarked on a journey of self-discovery, learning how to be gently present, and how to listen to the whispers of his body.

He had learned that intelligence and brilliance could only take him so far. He needed to be kind and loving to his body, and present to the world. 

PRACTICES 

  • Mindfulness Meditation: paying attention to the present moment without judgment, by focusing on the breath or body sensations.
  • Transcendental Meditation: repeating a mantra, which is a word or phrase, to quiet the mind and achieve a state of deep relaxation.
  • Loving-kindness Meditation: focusing on sending love and kindness to oneself and others, which can help cultivate compassion and reduce negative emotions.
  • Vipassana Meditation: observing the sensations in the body and mind with acceptance, to gain insight into the nature of reality and reduce suffering.
  • Body Scan Meditation: focusing on different parts of the body, one by one, to develop awareness and relaxation.
  • Chakra Meditation: visualizing energy centers in the body and focusing on balancing them, to promote physical and emotional wellbeing.
  • Zen Meditation: developing awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, without becoming attached to them. The practice involves allowing thoughts to arise and pass without judgment or distraction, and returning to the breath or object of focus whenever the mind wanders.
  • Movement Meditation: combining physical movement with meditation, such as through yoga, tai chi, or walking meditation.
  • Sound Meditation: focusing on sound, such as through chanting or listening to music, to promote relaxation and spiritual awareness.

RESOURCES 

BOOKS 
  • The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
  • Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World (A Practical Guide to Finding Calm in a Busy World) by J. Mark G. Williams and Danny Penman 
  • The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer 
  • The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life by Elisha Goldstein 
  • The Mindful Compass: The Science of Self-Awareness and Happiness by Tara Healey 
  • Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Conscious Lives by Christopher Willard 
  • ​Radical Embodiment: Mindful Movement as a Path to Presence by Martina Hollander 
  • Embodied: Learning to Live from the Inside Out by John J. Prendergast
  • The Power of Embodied Mindfulness: Body-Based Practices for Awakening and Flourishing by Ruth White
  • Embodied Wisdom: The Collected Papers of Moshe Feldenkrais by Moshe Feldenkrais
  • Mindful Embodiment: A Somatic Guide to Reclaiming Your Grounding and Embodied Presence by Jody Koenig
  • The Embodiment of Emotion: A Neurobiological Perspective by Joanne Cantor
  • The Embodied Self: Movement and Psychoanalysis by Christopher Bollas