The problem with so much of the meditation and mindfulness we see today is that it does just the opposite.
Why include the body in meditation?
Many of us are disconnected from our bodies. This leads to a sense of not feeling whole, being ill at ease, and often just being unhappy. Being cut off from ourselves, also leads us to disconnect from others, leading to everything from loneliness, to intimacy issues, to violence.
We ignore our bodies at our peril – pushing ourselves too hard, suppressing emotions, creating imbalances in our nervous system, ignorant of our bodies’ innate wisdom. Critically, when we are distant from our primary “home”, we lose touch not just with ourselves, but also with our values, other people (empathy is embodied), and the natural world. Embodied connection isn’t just central to a healthy life, it is the essence of being alive, and what makes life worth living.
Many people have started practicing mindfulness in recent years in a quest to remedy common modern ailments like stress and anxiety, or out of a sense that something deeper is possible beyond modern consumer culture. As long-term meditators who have benefited hugely from the practice we celebrate this. And we have seen with some concern how the "mind” in “mindfulness” (incidentally only one translation of the original Pali word “sati”) and distortions during the introduction of mindfulness into Western culture, has led to some serious misunderstandings. Things that were once perhaps givens, now need clarifying and highlighting.
Times have also changed. Human beings have become FAR more comfortable and sedentary than during the time of mindfulness’ inception. In addition, the cultural transfer of Asian practices to a hyper-cognitive Western culture necessitates new explanations and techniques. And as long-term movement practitioners we’re also aware that dynamic conscious awareness practices, and modern innovations like trauma sensitivity, can inform traditional sitting meditation.
In addressing these two concerns (distortion and the need for fresh adaptation), this article is both something old - much traditional practice was more embodied than modern secular “mindfulness”, and this just needs restating and underlining; and something new - a methodology for the current age, both incorporating fresh wisdom from, and for current conditions (e.g. the prevalence of technology).
A Problem with Modern Meditation
Let me be blunt: much meditation as it is now commonly taught does not encourage embodiment, but actually increases numbing. It can easily be a tool for “spiritual bypassing” - trying to transcend the body, life and emotions. Meditation can lead people away from awareness of the body, or at least not optimise the benefits of a body-based practice. We believe that without an embodied “upgrade” as at least an option, meditation will do little good in the modern context, and can even do harm.
Some traditional approaches are more helpful to embodiment, and some fresh ones are also useful. Beginners can start with what is right at hand, and long-term practitioners already working with the body will find it helpful to focus on this aspect of practice in depth.