Towards Positive Embodiment: What It Is and Why It Matters

I'd love to share with you one of my favorite topics - positive embodiment. You might be wondering, 'What does that even mean?' At its heart, positive embodiment explores our relationship with our bodies and how this connection fundamentally shapes our wellbeing. Through the last few years of research in this field, I've discovered that the way we inhabit and experience our physical selves has profound implications for how we move through the world and experience life.

What is Positive Embodiment?

In essence, positive embodiment is about experiencing our bodies as integral to who we are—not just as a means to get around or meet societal expectations. It’s about nurturing a relationship with our physical selves, one that celebrates our strengths and acknowledges our needs.

When we talk about positive embodiment, we’re shifting away from a focus only on body image or feeling disconnected from our physical self. Instead, we’re cultivating an appreciation for what our bodies can do and how they feel. It’s an invitation to step into our skin with a sense of gratitude and joy. To attune to what we actually feel and to care for ourselves from that place.

The Developmental Theory of Embodiment

The developmental theory of embodiment (founded by researchers Niva Piran and Tanya Teall) is a powerful lens to our understanding of how we navigate our relationships with our bodies and has had a profound impact on my own research path. This theory posits that our relationship with our bodies develops over time, shaped by our experiences, culture, and the world around us.

1.     Childhood Influences: Think back to your childhood. What messages did you receive about your body, from family, society, peers, the media? Those formative years play a huge role in shaping how we perceive ourselves. Positive reinforcement can help foster a sense of confidence, while negative experiences can lead to disconnection. This background can help us unpack how we’ve ended up where we are, and point us in the direction where we might need to do some healing and learning.

2.     Cultural Context: In our present lives, societal norms and cultural messages can weigh heavily on how we view our bodies. Many of these messages set unrealistic standards, leading us away from a positive relationship with ourselves. It’s crucial to challenge these narratives and seek a healthier perspective. We can learn more from a science perspective and also connect to our sense of compassion and justice for how these systems can cause harm.

3.     Personal Growth: Throughout life, we have the chance to reflect on our embodiment. We have the opportunity to learn and grow - to integrate new learning and heal past conditioning. Practices like yoga, dance, or a stroll in nature can help us reconnect with our physical selves when we purposely connect to what’s happening in our bodies. Engaging in activities that spark joy, self-expression, and agency are key to fostering positive embodiment.

Why Does Positive Embodiment Matter?

When we cultivate a healthy relationship with our bodies, it ripples into every aspect of our lives. Here’s why it’s important:

Enhanced Wellbeing: Feeling good in your body can significantly boost your mental and emotional health. In my own research we’ve explored how positive embodiment is strongly correlated with multiple measures of wellbeing including psychological wellbeing, self-compassion, positive emotions, and subjective wellbeing.

Increased Resilience: When you’re grounded in your physical self, you’re better equipped to handle life’s challenges. It’s a sense of stability that supports you through stress and uncertainty. Not surprisingly, there’s a relationship between how you relate to you body and how you can manage emotions and care for yourself during hard times.

Authentic Living: Positive embodiment allows you to show up as your true self. When you feel comfortable in your body, you’re more likely to express yourself authentically, use your voice and foster deeper connections with others. Authenticity is an embodied way of being which includes awareness of and attunement to our inner states which we can’t access when we’re disconnected from our bodies as integral aspects of ourselves.

Cultivating Positive Embodiment

Far from a one-off outcome, positive embodiment is a dynamic process of continual meaning making a reconnection. That said, here are some practices to help you get started:

Mindful Movement: Engage in activities that encourage you to connect with your body—be it yoga, dancing, or a leisurely walk. Pay attention to how your body feels as you move rather than what it looks like or a specific choreography.

Body Gratitude: Take a moment each day to express gratitude for your body. Recognize all the amazing things it does for you, from breathing to carrying you through your day to allowing you to be alive.

Challenge Negative Thoughts: When negative body thoughts creep in, challenge them use critical thinking about what we know about the harms of diet culture, the wellbeing benefits of being more connected and attuned to your body. Know that it’s not a zero-sum game, you can’t control thoughts that pop up, but you can practice re-orienting yourself in the direction you’re choosing.

Connect with Nature: Spend time outdoors and notice how your body feels in different environments. Nature has a way of grounding us and helping us appreciate our physical presence.

Find your Community: Connect and talk about these things with folks who get it, are on this journey or have been on this journey before. You’re not alone if your relationship to your body is tricky, and you don’t have to heal alone either.

Positive embodiment is about nurturing a loving relationship with your body as an important part of who we are and about recognizing its role in your overall well-being. By understanding the developmental aspects of embodiment, we can see how our experiences shape this connection and practice orienting ourselves toward a more liberated, attuned, and authentic way of being.