Why the work of embodiment is essential in these times

I’ll get right to the point – embodiment is requisite for our sovereignty. You might ask, but what does that even mean and why should I care? Good questions. In regard to your work, this would matter to you if you care to freely create work as an expression of your whole self – your human self, your inner self, and your soul self – and to engage in said work with complete autonomy.

This idea of absolute independence might trigger concern that humans are becoming individualists. I understand the argument against each of us being “in it for ourselves”, however, sovereignty is different from self-servingness. Rather than disregarding the truth or the interests of others, sovereignty is about connecting to a universal truth that is in service to the whole of humanity.

Rather than disregarding the truth or the interests of others, sovereignty is about connecting to a universal truth that is in service to the whole of humanity.

What we currently see playing out on the world stage is about sovereignty. We are witnessing the demise of inequity, tyranny, and oppression and actively participating in the rise of fairness, emancipation, and empowerment. The follies of war and political power struggles are all the desperate acts of an old paradigm in its death throes. While it looks bleak now, “the dark side” will not hold dominion over our planet. Our collective consciousness won’t allow it. This is why to embody our true essence is imperative now.

The work of embodiment invites us to integrate our various facets so that we can live grounded in our physical experience while maintaining connection with our expanded non-physical selves, thus being the bridge that allows the light of consciousness to imbue our reality. Our work, as a whole, must be embodied so that we can make our contribution from a sovereign state, thereby creating a new paradigm that actually supports our joyous evolution.

Embodiment is the integration of self

Embodiment begins with the recognition that each of us is more than just a hapless human aimlessly roaming this earth in isolation from everyone and everything around us. While our unique and distinct human form is one facet of our being, there is also our inner self, which is the omniscient part of us that guides us (i.e., inner being, master self) – and our soul self, that which is the origin of all existence (i.e., god, source, universe). Embodiment is to be in a cohesive relationship with the entirety of who we are.

Without knowing, most of us from a young age were conditioned to live in a disembodied state. We were encouraged to disregard our sentience and submit to our mind as the almighty ruler of our being. Rather than feel our emotions and use them as important feedback from our bodies, we were taught to suppress our feelings and mistrust our bodies. The resulting pain caused us to want to disassociate from our lived experience, which in turn, disconnected us from our inner guidance. It was also rare that any of us were ever told the real truth about our existence – that we are the living embodiment of consciousness itself.

If we are fortunate, we come to learn that it’s not through the denial of our physical body that we reach any transcendent state, but it is actually through fully inhabiting our physical bodies that we gain access to our deeper wisdom and connect with broader potentials. By welcoming the entire spectrum of the human experience, we open to know the expanded version of ourselves.

It is through inhabiting our physical body that we gain access to our deeper wisdom and are able to open to the expanded version of ourselves.

The practice of embodiment can be done through an endless variety of mediums such as creative writing, freeform dance, intentional movement, sacred ceremony, holistic sex, somatic therapy, guided meditation, inspired work, altered sleep, expressive arts, among others. It can also be done simply by allowing what is a natural evolutionary process. Many of us came into this lifetime to realize the totality of our being and there isn’t any interference necessary on our part for this to occur.

Within this state of self-realization, we recognize ourselves as sovereign beings. When we accept our true nature, we enter into a compassionate relationship with the various facets of ourselves. This is the ultimate goal of any work – to know who we are so intimately that we fall in love with ourselves – and with existence itself.

Sovereignty is the claiming of self

To be sovereign is to be beholden to no one or no thing but ourselves. We operate in the world with complete autonomy. As I stated previously, to be sovereign is not to be dismissive of others, rather it is to be in an empowered relationship with our whole selves so that we can effectively collaborate with and serve others. The ideal is to have sovereign beings working together harmoniously in service to the collective.

The key advantage of being sovereign is that each of us then has unfettered access to our own source of energy. This independence means that we have no need to enter into transactional relationships with others for the sole purpose of seeking energy. In other words, we aren’t giving to get or getting to give. Instead, we are inner resourced in a way that allows our external interactions to be energetically pure. It precludes any need for power struggles. We can work together to build something magical.

The key advantage of being sovereign is that each of us then has unfettered access to our own source of energy.

To be able to draw upon our own energy also allows us freedom in our choice of actions. We are not limited by existing structures or systems nor are we swayed by external forces. We can bring forth new possibilities rather than be trapped in the old. In our work, we do not try to effect a particular outcome, rather we become the vessel through which the outcome can be realized. The caveat is that with this creative freedom comes with personal responsibility. We must take full responsibility for every aspect of our lives. We cannot be sovereign if we still believe that someone or something outside of us holds power over us.

Again, this is why embodiment is so essential. It is through our bodies that we are able to communicate with our energy. Through the language of inspiration (e.g., those subtle nudges and impulses), our inner self wisely guides our human self in the creative process of bringing our soul’s work to life.

Inspired work is the expression of self

In the education systems of yore, we were led to believe that the ultimate goal of school was to prepare us for entering the workforce where our only value lie in our ability to amass common knowledge and learn skills that people will “pay for”. Rarely were we encouraged to embrace our own uniqueness and find ways to make a contribution authentic to ourselves. We were taught to conform to norms rather than to distinguish ourselves. However, as said by the late educationist Sir Ken Robinson, “Communities depend upon diversity of talents.” For the thriving of humanity, variety is crucial, which is why we are born the way we are.

Each of us has come into this lifetime as a human endowed with a particular set of strengths, gifts, and talents. Part of our inspired work is to discover these capacities, claim them as ours, and then use them in service to others. To embody these qualities helps to inform our individual expression. Another aspect to embody in our work is our “truth”. For each of us, we carry the trauma of childhood wounding that has caused us to believe lies about who we are. However, to do our real work asks us to put aside these stories of unworthiness and stand in the worthiness we already are. A sovereign being knows their worth and uses their work to express it in the world.

A sovereign being knows their worth and uses their work to express it in the world.

Our work is not only an opportunity to express our human self, it is a vehicle through which our soul self can expand through the birthing of new ideas. Again, it is through our physical embodiment that this happens. We, as creators, can translate those new ideas into a new reality. It turns out that our work is actually the evolution of consciousness itself. While that might feel like a burdensome undertaking for us mere humans, it is actually the opposite. To consciously be participating in the unfolding of a new reality is our greatest joy.

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This is an era when we are being invited to “come home to our bodies”. Why? Because before now, we have been operating with our point of reference being located outside of ourselves, which made us less effective and susceptible to influence by others. Our real ability to affect our reality comes from within and embodiment is the doorway to entering our inner realm.

When embodied, we are in right relationship with each facet of ourselves. By “right relationship” I mean that we are allowing the various facets of our being to do what they are designed to do best – i.e., for the soul self to expand, the inner self to guide, and the human self to experience. When we know that we already are and already have everything we need, then we have the capacity to throw ourselves into the turbulent winds of change and build the solid foundation for a new paradigm on earth. This is the essential work for everyone in these times.