For a moment can I invite you to slow down and reflect on the last time that…

You laughed so hard your belly hurt.

You saw something so beautiful that you got goosebumps.

You felt truly safe and connected to another.

You were filled with curiosity and dove into learning something new.

You felt inspired and allowed that to flow into a creative outlet.

You moved your body freely to your favorite song without any inhibition.

One or several of these might come easy to your memory or you may be like many who say that they simply can’t recall the last time, because it has been so long. It may even be that slowing down to try to think of these things felt uncomfortable. That discomfort is likely related to your nervous system not knowing how to slow down and be with a moment that is not filled with chaos or stress. Let’s be honest, our modern way of living is not conducive to slowing down. It is fast! We are bombarded with information, requests, and responsibilities and over time that lead to us being disconnected from our bodies. There just isn’t time. How many times has your body told you it was hungry, exhausted, sick, or even that you need to use the restroom, but you ignored it “for just a little bit longer,” because of the demands you had to meet? Over time, this just becomes the norm. Quite simply put, most of us have left our bodies. Though we inhabit them every day they are not home. We may know our own bodies no better than we know a stranger. This is not to our benefit at all as our bodies contain so much wisdom. Our bodies contain our histories, our unique needs, and they help us connect to what we are feeling which then helps us to identify what we need and want in our lives.

If you are frequently feeling trapped and are so sick of the race you are not alone. If you have never been to therapy, Welcome! If you have been to therapy many times or have even been in therapy for years and you have all the “understanding” of what is wrong, but you aren’t getting better, you also are not alone. Our rates of depression, anxiety, substance use, eating disorders, chronic illness and autoimmune disorders are at all-time highs.

Yet, we have more than we ever had before by way of technology, convenience, ways to meet others, and resources. What is missing? Perhaps that answer is not far away. Maybe it is time to come home. Time to be embodied. Being embodied means you have a full-body, felt experience of a thing, state, or experience. You don’t just know something by way of a thought or by mentally understanding it, you also feel it as it occurs within your body. It means no longer just sitting on the bench as a spectator watching the game happen before you thinking about how great it might be to get in and play, you ACTUALLY get in the game. You live life in a way that is full and alive.

I recognize many people visiting this page may feel that a life like this is way too far off and maybe even not possible. I get it. First I want to say that being embodied doesn’t have to look like this cool lady on the picture at the top of this page! I get the sense she feels embodied so I chose it, but being embodied can mean just hearing the subtle requests of your body to slow down, to be with a more positive moment, and actually honoring that. Being embodied can also mean actually noticing your physical pain and difficult emotions instead of pushing them away. I also want to say that being embodied can seem impossible, particularly when we have experienced trauma as it is “too much, too fast.” You see, trauma inherently disconnects us from our bodies. When we experience trauma it actually doesn’t feel safe to stay in our bodies. Our nervous systems were actually designed to “take us away” when experiencing trauma or danger. This is for our benefit, to try to keep us from not feeling as much pain, be it emotional or physical. What happens however is after the trauma we don’t come back. Coming back becomes associated with that traumatic event, with fear, terror, helplessness, and a great deal of discomfort.

If anything resonates with you in reading this perhaps it is an invitation to explore it, to maybe just be a little bit curious. I want you to know that you are FAR more than your trauma, your experiences, your family history, or a diagnosis! The fact that you are even reading this shows tremendous bravery and that something in you wants more. I can’t promise that I have all of the answers, but I absolutely believe your body does! I would love to support you on your journey back home.