The Body as a Portal to Spirituality
Many of the women I work with don’t consider themselves spiritual.
They’re curious about spirituality and would like it to be part of their lives because they feel like something’s missing – a depth and meaning that isn’t fulfilled by their daily lives.
Oftentimes though, they’re just not sure where to start. They may try meditation or breathwork, go to a church or synagogue, or spend extra time in nature.
All these are great starting points depending on one’s beliefs and interests. Another place to start is with the body.
According to BKS Iyengar, “Spirituality is not some external goal that one must seek but a part of the divine core of each of us, which we must reveal.
For the yogi, spirit is not separate from body. Spirituality… is not ethereal and outside nature but accessible and palpable in our own very bodies.”
The belief that we can access our spirituality through our body is foreign to many people. It’s cliché that what we’re looking for, the depth and meaning, is already within us.
Yet this understanding is shared by many spiritual traditions which recognize the body as key to unlocking this mysterious realm.
In his book “The Awakening Body,” Dr. Reginald Ray says, “Everything that I teach, the entire journey involved in the somatic work, is essentially a meditation practicum;
it is a series of … exercises and practices designed to lead you into the magnificent and stunning spiritual journey that is yours, and yours alone, to discover and make, waiting for you within your body.”
Somatics for Spirituality
By tuning into our body’s felt sense, its perceptible sensations, emotions, movement, and stillness, we open the door to a unique spiritual path. This path is experiential, rather than intellectual as we often approach the topic. It’s visceral, awakening us to the mysteries that lie within us and everyone else.
It’s unknown where this path will lead, but as poet Mark Nepo reminds us, “Birds learn how to fly, never knowing where flight will take them.”
If it’s any comfort, Dr. Mark Epstein, a mindfulness-based psychiatrist in New York City, says “the spiritual path means making a path rather than following one.”
This means you get to figure out what resonates with you, and because it’s a path, all you need to do is take one step at a time and see how it feels in each moment. From there, you decide what’s next on your path.
While the topic of spirituality can seem far removed from our everyday life, Dr. Ray shares that,
“Spirituality and life … are not two separate things, but one and the same. Our primordial longing as humans to find out who we are, why we are, and what our life is for is the most primal and profound of all spiritual longings.
Simply to live and to seek meaning in our life, then, is already to be fully engaged in the deepest of all spiritual quests.”
Asking these deeper questions and being open to the answers that arise is itself a profound spiritual practice. It’s worth experimenting with what’s possible when you involve your body in this inquiry.
If you’re looking for support on this journey, consider somatic coaching. Schedule your free 30 minute consult today to see if it’s a fit for you!
People seek out somatics for 4 primary reasons: mental and emotional wellbeing, leadership development, trauma healing, and physical conditions. It’s not uncommon that in the process of addressing one of these domains they stumble upon the way in which the body can become a portal to their spirituality. This is oftentimes surprising and breath-taking. If you’re curious about this aspect of somatics, I’d recommend biodynamic craniosacral therapy.