Movement is the perfect way to connect with yourself. Today, I will talk about how you can use movement to become embodied.
If you’re someone who tends to live in your head, making that shift to living in your body will change your life. In my previous post, I go into detail about living in your head verses your body. Today, I’m going to talk about an easy and practical way to become embodied… and what better way than movement?
There’s a reason I’m using the word movement over dance. When most of us think about dance, we immediately associate it with codified forms of dance such as ballet. What is codified dance?
That is simply any kind of dance that has existing rules or structures to it. Ballet is the perfect example, because it has set rules that the dancer cannot stray from, such as the five positions of the feet. Jazz is another form of codified dance, because it has set technique that one is to follow in order to perform the dance correctly.
While codified dance is beautiful to look at, it doesn’t get you in your body. It’s very “heady.” You need to constantly be thinking about the movement you’re doing, your technique, the way you look, what the next movement is, and keeping up with the choreography all at once. So, although you’re moving, you’re still living in your head.
What I’m talking about is movement that throws away the notion of technique and choreography. Setting up a regular practice is the key to embodiment.
Setting up a movement practice will allow you to connect with your true essence. If you’re already a trained dancer, it might be difficult to break away from codified forms of dance when you first begin your movement practice. As a trained ballet dancer, I used to default to ballet movements. Always defaulting to ballet was an obstacle I had to overcome. But I’ve let that go. I had to in order to expand.
If you’re new to movement, don’t let your lack of experience scare you away. In fact, that actually gives you an advantage because you won’t be thinking about technique or choreography or doing the movement “right.” You will have a fresh perspective and will be able to create on your own terms freely.
So, where do you get started?
The easiest way to create a movement practice is to set a container. This will provide you with the structure you need to allow yourself to flow. Think about it as yin and yang… structure and flow. They exist together. Structure without flow becomes rigid. Flow without structure becomes chaotic.
The way to do this is to commit to your movement practice every morning. It doesn’t have to be long and intense. It can be simple, and under five minutes if you wish.
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Here is an easy way to set up a movement practice:
- At the same time of day every day, get your yoga mat out.
- Lay down your yoga mat and turn on a song that speaks to you in that particular moment.
- For the entirety of that song, allow yourself to move and flow. Don’t focus on how the movement looks, focus on how it feels.
- As you move, allow yourself to feel whatever comes up without judging yourself or analyzing your feelings.
- Once the song is over, or however many songs you want to move for, put your yoga mat away. Your movement practice is over.
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This isn’t to say you’re doing yoga to a song or two every morning… the mat exists as a symbol of your container which will allow you to let go. In other words, the yoga mat is the structure to your flow.
Sometimes when you’re in your daily movement practice, you might notice some things coming up for you, such as unexpected emotions. This is actually a good thing, because it means you’re releasing old, stagnant energy. You’re literally moving energy around your body and getting rid of what no longer serves you. So, allow yourself to feel whatever comes up for you in your daily practice. Although it can be scary to experience unexpected emotions, they won’t last forever.
Setting up a movement practice is the perfect way to connect with yourself and become embodied. When you become embodied, you’re connecting with yourself and your own dreams. You’ll notice that in day-to-day life, things just feel lighter… and more enjoyable. Anything from an afternoon walk to a healthy dinner you made will light you up in ways it hasn’t before. This is how you become radiant.