3 Aspects of Experience - Becoming More Embodied

I am of the belief that we, as humans, have three different aspects of experience at any given moment. There is our cognition (thoughts, memories, narratives and beliefs about ourselves or the world), our emotions, and our somatic, bodily experience.

Most of us have been conditioned since childhood to busy ourselves and push down uncomfortable or inconvenient feelings. Toughness, being “chill”, and being productive at all costs have become virtues in this culture. 

But what is the cost of living in our heads and not being embodied? What do you imagine is lost by not feeling fully connected to ourselves?

In my work with the folks in therapy, we try to bridge those different aspects of their experience. When we are able to slow down and get curious we often can then hear the messages being communicated from our bodies and emotions. This can be a process similar to learning a new language and may take time.

In my experience, both personally and professionally, when we are able to slow down e…