Embodied communication is a 2-way street

How you can utilize your body to process and be with emotional experience

Mar 27, 2025

This is our final installment in the 4-part series on the concept and practice of EMBODIMENT. In case you missed the others…

Installment 1: we explored why viewing your body as a subject (not an object) matters to your mental and physical health

Installment 2: we considered the context of how we got here (disembodied) and I invited you to notice your own embodiment (without judgment).

Installment 3: we dug a little deeper into the how of becoming more embodied (or returing to embodiment), specifically through our near and far senses.

This week, I'm INTEGRATING Emotional Regulation and Embodiment and inviting you to EXPLORE emotional expression through your body.

But first, a little primer on emotions.

Note: if you really want to nerd out on emotion regulation and agility be sure to go here for a whole article on it. This is the fourth installment in a 4-part series. But in case you want the coles notes…read on.

Emotions are relatively complex to break down to a simple definition, but essentially they're responses from our body-mind designed to help us navigate our environment safely and optimally (for us). As psychologist Susan David puts it, they are "data, not directives." By examining the data and interpreting it consciously, we can determine our best next steps.

According to research all of our core emotions have distinct and culturally universal bodily sensations (nerd out here). With time and development, we’ve identified these body “maps” as the core emotions we can name (happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger) plus more maps for complex feelings like anxiety, love, depression, contempt, pride, shame, and envy.

What’s so cool about this is that when they arise, the distinct map can cue us to what we’re feeling (the “data”) in a much more nuanced way. For example the sensation for anxiety and fear are similar, but distinct, as are happiness and love. With this information as guideposts we can identify our needs and take care of ourselves.

But here’s the connection to embodiment.

If you’re deeply dis-embodied (for a variety of reasons discussed in the second part in this 4-part series).…you’re not likely to have awareness (attunement) of these bodily sensations (and thus the emotions they signify).

As such, embodiment as a practice can be very helpful to becoming more attuned and aware of your body (and thus the sensory maps/ emotions they represent).

In other words, as we become more attuned to our bodies (in general) we become more adept at listening for all our cues - from hunger and thirst to the distinct maps of sadness, anger, fear, joy, etc. These are all important messages we need to hear!

And this listening is a 2-way street!

Just as we tune into and respond to the emotions and feelings in embodied ways, we can also use embodiment to process and be with our emotional experiences.

One of my favourite practices to use with clients is to utilize the body to express emotional experience.

This strategy can be especially helpful if you're having a difficult time naming the emotion you're feeling.

Sometimes, we simply don't have the words to express it verbally (either because we don't have a nuanced enough emotional vocabulary or because the roots of what we're experiencing may be related to pre-verbal experiences in childhood).

Regardless of the reason, using the body can be a powerful tool to identify and process emotions.

Emotions embodied: a practice

TRY THIS: Take a shape! Use your body to express each of the core emotions.

Joy
Fear
Sadness
Disgust
Excitement
Anger
Desire

Don't think too much - this is about you connecting with your body. Just consider the emotion (if it helps, and it feels safe to do so, call up the last time you experienced that emotion), and be curious about the shape/orientation your body wants to take.

How to use this idea IRL (in real life):

Next time you're having a hard time naming your emotional experience, get out of your head and into your body by taking a shape.

In a safe space (with or without support from a loved one or therapist), take a shape that helps you express what you're experiencing.
As you take the shape, see what you can become in touch with that you may not have previously had access to. What do you notice? What’s that like to notice what you notice? Simply be with what you notice.
Feel free to allow your body to move and take a variety of shapes and continue to notice, and notice what you notice.
Be curious, how does your body help you express yourself?

As you play with this, you might become more in touch with a deeper felt sense of the emotion or feeling, and/or the insights (data) those emotions/ feelings are guiding you to. Stay curious and thank your body-mind for the beautiful way it communicates with you.

Onward in thriving,

Gillian