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...