3 Steps Toward Embodiment

My cancer warriors often feel like their bodies have “failed” them. It can also be very difficult to come to terms with any of the physical changes your cancer treatment may have caused - mastectomy, colostomy, etc.

The practice of EMBODIMENT is a powerful tool I use with my cancer warriors to start a new relationship with their bodies. It's an amazing practice to begin to fully love, honor, and celebrate your body no matter what the physical appearance or ailment may be!

I had the honor of talking with my sweet friend, Katie Kemp, on the podcast this week. Katie has been an amazing mentor for me on the topic of EMBODIMENT. She shared all the wisdom she has gained through navigating a difficult autoimmune disease. Katie shares how she shifted from feeling like her body had failed her, to focusing on how she can develop a true “friendship” with her body.

What is embodiment? Hillary McBride wrote a beautiful book on this subject and offered the distinction between how we feel ABOUT our bodies versus how we feel IN our bodies. Embodiment is an invitation to connect with your body without judgement or expectation.

Like any new practice, be gentle with yourself as you try on something new. It can be difficult to even know were to start, so I’d like to offer my top 3 steps to begin to implement EMBODIMENT into your daily routine.

3 Steps Toward Embodiment

1. Body Scan - Check in with your body! Set a timer for twice a day - mid-morning and mid-afternoon. When the timer goes off, pause whatever it is you’re doing and simply check in with your body. Stop the distractions and listen! This won’t take more than a minute and once it becomes a habit to check in, you won't need to set an alarm.

What is your body telling you? Do you need to get up and stretch? Do you need nourishment or hydration? When’s the last time you went to the bathroom?!? It seems so basic, but like any good friend, our bodies crave our attention. You’ll be amazed to learn all that your body wants to communicate with you if you just pause and remove the distractions.

2. Give Thanks To Your Body - Tune into this week’s podcast to learn a beautiful body gratitude practice from Katie!

3. Embodiment Blend - fully embrace your body with my essential oil blend:

The essential oil descriptions below are derived from the book -

“Essential Emotions”

Geranium - The Oil of Love and Trust

Geranium restores confidence in the innate goodness of yourself and others. It facilitates trust, and fosters receptivity to human love and connection. Geranium encourages emotional honesty, love, and forgiveness.

Frankincense - The Oil of Truth

Frankincense reveals deceptions and false truths. It invites you to let go of lies, deceptions, and negativity. This oil helps create new perspectives based on light and truth. Frankincense reminds you that you are loved and protected. Through the light and power of Frankincense, you can draw closer to your true self.

Grapefruit - The Oil of Honoring the Body

Grapefruit teaches true respect and appreciation for your body. It supports individuals who struggle to honor their body and are caught in patterns of mistreatment. This oil encourages a positive relationship with your body based on love, tolerance and acceptance. Grapefruit encourages integrity by respecting your physical needs. This oil assists individuals in listening to their true physical needs and impulses. It also assists them in taking responsibility for what they feel.

Black Spruce - The Oil of Stability

Black Spruce is both grounding and stabilizing. This oil has mastered the art of energy conservation and endurance. Black spruce teaches you how to regulate your physical energy by listening to your body’s rhythms and needs. This oil models how to persevere through the storms of life by drawing strength from your roots. It offers a model of vitality and longevity through living in harmony with nature’s cycles and seasons. Spruce can also assist individuals who feel depleted of energy to renew themselves.

Bergamot - The Oil of Self-Acceptance

Bergamot relieves feelings of despair, self-judgement, and low self-esteem. It supports individuals in need of self-acceptance and self-love. Bergamot invites individuals to see life with more optimism. Bergamot has a cleansing effect on stagnant feelings and limiting belief systems. Bergamot’s powerful cleansing properties generate movement in the energy system, which in turn brings hope. In this way, Bergamot is wonderful for those who feel down and hopeless. It awakens the soul to hope and offers courage to share the inner self. Reigniting optimism and confidence in the self, it imparts true self-acceptance. Bergamot teaches individuals to let go of self-judgment by learning to love themselves unconditionally.

Copaiba - The Oil of Unveiling

Copaiba invites you to connect with your past. It offers a deep intertwining energy that links experience to experience to unveil the deeper meaning and messages showing up in one’s life. Copaiba summons individuals to begin to unravel and restore the necessary process for lasting healing. Copaiba will help unveil that you have always been treasured, accepted, valued, and worthy of love!

Melaleuca - The Oil of Energetic Boundaries

Melaleuca clears negative energetic baggage. It offers the clarity around what emotions are yours to keep while letting go of the emotions of others you may be unnecessarily carrying around.

I’d love to hear how you’re implementing EMBODIMENT into your daily routine. Leave me a comment here!