The 10 laws of being a body

1. Context
Our current situation, relationships, culture, disposition and the environment are all embodied. We are layered adaptations to context and history.

2. Comfort
The body reveals what’s familiar. We feel “at home” in what we have practised, and it feels easy.

3. Joy
Delight reveals what’s needed or longed for.

4. Holography
The body reveals our way of being in all things.

5. Deviation
Inability to follow a form reveals habitual patterns. Habits assert themselves unconsciously and are exposed by form.

6. Guidance
The body can guide our life. When listened, to the body gives wisdom. Not too be confused with comfort!

7. Practice
We are always practising (unconsciously or consciously) and become what we practice. We can learn to embody new ways of being over time.

8. Contrast
The body reveals and learns by exaggeration, contrast and embodied differentiation of new distinctions.

9. The social
We learn in relationship. By being witnessed and naming something to others we deepen insight and declare new futures.

10. Integration
We can transfer embodied learning into daily life by creating micro indicators and asanas, and by designing a practice routine.

Supplemental laws:

11. Process
The body is a process (verb), and it benefits us to listen and follow.

12. Self-regulation
The fight-fight-freeze and craving responses can be managed by though relaxation, expansiveness and structural alignment

13. Trigger
Shadow is revealed by triggering and infatuation

14. Chaos
The body is free and has no laws! 😉

Developed for Embodied Yoga Principles and through teaching The Embodied Facilitator Course, drawing from Paul Linden, Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Wendy Palmer, Stuart Heller, Ginny Whitelaw and Dylan Newcomb.