LonerWolf

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • Free Tests
  • Contact
  • Membership
  • Course
  • Freebies
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • Free Tests
  • Contact
  • Membership
  • Course
  • Freebies
×
» Home » Illumination

Your Body is Sacred: 3 Ways to Practice Embodied Spirituality

by Aletheia Luna · Updated: Apr 3, 2025 · 41 Comments

Image of a woman dancing in the sun representing embodied spirituality
Embodied spirituality bodywork breathwork

Since the very beginning of all religious and spiritual drive, there has been a deep prejudice against the body.

The body has been called carnal, worldly, lustful, sinful, and illusory. At best, it has been thought of as mere dust, at worst, it has been thought of as a doorway to the devil himself. 

What’s worse is that when the body has been celebrated (such as in many neo-tantric practices), it has been fetishised and in some ways objectified.


Spiritual Wanderer Course image

Spiritual Wanderer Course:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "I started the Spiritual Wanderers Course a short while ago and for the first time in twelve years I have started to experience love, acceptance and compassion for myself and within myself. Thank you so much." – Vivienne S.


There’s no doubt about it: we’ve had a weird relationship with the body as a species.

On one hand, we either condemn it and try to subjugate it – on the other hand, we indulge it to the extreme. We tend to swing from one side to the other, never seeming to find a middle ground.

Thankfully, times are changing. We’re sick of treating our bodies as flesh suits to be ascetically denied or endlessly satiated. Instead, we’re beginning to understand and respect our bodies’ wisdom, intelligence, and profound connection to the truth of reality.

We’re starting to see that the body is a sacred doorway to the Soul and the sacred wild Spirit of Existence. 

But as always, seeing our bodies as sacred is not easy. There are layers upon layers of inherited beliefs, prejudice, and wounds that obscure our ability to see clearly. Not only that, but modern spirituality – with its tendency to emphasize disembodied “transcendence” – can make it extra hard for us to come into a healthy relationship with our bodies. This is why embodied spirituality is so desperately needed.

What is Embodied Spirituality?

Image of a woman standing in front of white flowers

Embodied spirituality refers to a lived experience of spirituality that is grounded in the body. When we embrace embodied spirituality, we come out of our minds and back into our bodies: into that which is visceral, instinctual, and deeply felt through the senses. We see that the body isn’t just a temple of the Divine, but a living expression of Spirit. As such, the body becomes a source of tremendous wisdom and insight: a doorway to the present moment. Not only do we see the body as sacred, but we see it as a microcosm of the macrocosm – it becomes a path to both the transcendent and immanent nature of the Divine.

Your Body is a Storehouse of Trauma 

Image of a woman curled up in a ball carrying trauma

As psychiatrist Bessel Van Der Kolk writes in his book The Body Keeps Score:

The body keeps the score: … the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems

Renowned psychologist and trauma-expert Peter Levine goes on to write:


Image of an eclipse

Shadow & Light Membership:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Shadow and Light’s weekly guidance always rings true to my heart. Thanks for acknowledging my shadows and inviting my inner light. I always get excited to open the Shadow and Light emails on Sunday!" – Angela M.


Traumatic symptoms not only affect our emotional and mental states, but our physical health as well.

And as psychotherapists C. Zweig and S. Wolf write:

We may forget an abuse, but the body does not. Like shock absorbers, our bodies absorb the wear and tear of emotional experience. We may defend against it, but our bodies take the heat. And slowly, over years, the patterns of stress and trauma accumulate. Inevitably, if we do not become conscious of the shadows lodged in our muscles and cells, they begin to tell their tales. 

As we can see, body and mind are not separate. Whatever painful experiences we undergo in life are stored within our bodies as trauma. This trauma manifests as muscle tension, mysterious aches and pains, ‘body armoring’ and holding patterns, autoimmune disorders, and endless other illnesses.

Without unpacking, exploring, and releasing what’s within our bodies, we remain frozen and unable to move forward. This is the first reason why developing a friendly approach to our bodies is crucial – it is a core element of spiritual healing and transformation.

Your Body is a Gateway to Spiritual Wisdom

Image of a woman in a red dress standing in nature

Our bodies are also a storehouse of great wisdom.

As the great German philosopher Nietzsche once wrote: 

There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.

And as Buddha once said:

The body is anchored in the here and now while the mind travels into the past and future.”

Although at a core level, we aren’t defined by our physical blood and bones, our bodies are an undeniably powerful gateway to the present moment. Not only do they anchor us into the Eternal Now (hence why many meditation techniques focus on the breath and body), but they are also insanely accurate truth-detectors. They help us to both tune-into what is true and real, on a visceral felt-level, and what is false. 

Indeed, our bodies are great and multi-layered gifts. They carry an intelligence that predates the mind and an intuition that is directly aligned with the Soul.

As mythopoetic author and psychologist Marion Woodman writes,

This is your body, your greatest gift, pregnant with wisdom you do not hear, grief you thought was forgotten, and joy you have never known.

There is so much potential for healing, revelation, integration, and regenerative grounding on offer when we honor the body; when we practice embodied spirituality.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!

Your information will never be shared.

But … where do we start?

3 Ways to Practice Embodied Spirituality

Image of a woman dancing and experiencing embodied spirituality

There are many ways to practice embodied spirituality taught by a vast array of people. 

Such approaches cater to different levels of the human experience ranging from relieving chronic pain all the way to releasing spiritual blockages.

Some examples include:

  • Massage (biodynamic, huna, etc.)
  • Acupuncture/acupressure
  • Body-centered mindfulness and meditation
  • Somatic experiencing
  • Somatic psychotherapy
  • Breathwork
  • Dance/movement therapy
  • Yoga

Below I’ll briefly explore three of these practices:

1. Yoga

Image of a woman practicing yoga and embodied spirituality

Yoga is an ancient mind-body-spirit practice that some historians date back to being 10,000 years old. These days, there are a wide array of approaches to yoga – but not all of them are suited for trauma healing and embodied spirituality. 

When exploring yoga as a way of befriending your body and learning from its wisdom, I recommend sticking to older and gentle forms of yoga – such as hatha yoga. There are also an increasing number of trauma-informed yoga teachers out there who incorporate their particular approach to yoga with modern findings in mental health studies. If you gravitate strongly toward yoga, I recommend seeing whether there are any trauma-informed and/or hatha yoga teachers near you. 

Restorative yoga is also another approach you might like to explore (although I have little experience with it), as it is said to focus on relaxing the nervous system and centering the mind.

So, why yoga? 

Yoga is a wonderful approach to embodied spirituality because not only does it tend to include a philosophical/spiritual element, but it also gives you a direct and visceral understanding of your body. It helps you to develop self-awareness of your strengths and limitations, areas that hold tension and trauma, as well as how to release that. Many people have experienced tremendous healing thanks to yoga. At its core, it has the potential to be a moving form of meditation that gets you directly in touch with the timeless wisdom carried deep within you. It’s no wonder that this modality is so popular and continues to live on after such a long expanse of time.

2. Breathwork

Image of a dancing man practicing breathwork

Breathwork is, quite simply, the practice of working with your breath to calm and clear your mind and body. This is a practice that, like yoga, has been around since the dawn of humanity.

Benefits of breathwork can include, for example, relaxing your nervous system, enhancing your mental wellbeing, improving your immune function, giving you more energy, increasing creativity and focus, and even inducing mystical experiences.

As your primal bridge to the Life Force energy, your breath is a powerful way of practicing embodied spirituality because it is always grounded in the moment. And as you probably know by now (thanks to Eckhart Tolle and the like), the present moment is all that truly exists!

There are many forms of breathwork out there such as pranayama, holotropic, rebirthing, shamanic, and simple mindfulness meditation breathing techniques. 

If you’d like to learn more about this embodied spirituality approach, read our breathwork article.


Inner Work Journal Bundle cover

Inner Work Journal Bundle:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "I’ve just begun, and I can tell this is an investment that will make an impression on and for the rest of my life. Utilizing these workbooks is like my best friend (ME!) right there by my side, holding my hand. Highly recommend!!!" – Monica


3. SOAR

Image of a woman dancing in the sun representing embodied spirituality

SOAR is a technique we devised back in 2017 for highly sensitive and empathic people who struggle with taking on too much energy from others. But in reality, SOAR is a practice that can be done by anyone.

SOAR stands for:

Stop – stopping or surrendering to what is here: simply noticing what’s going on 

Observe – observing your inner/outer experience (what external sounds/smells/colors/shapes can you observe, and what inner textures/feelings/sensations can you pick up on?)

Allow – allow and lovingly embrace what is arising without resisting (knowing that what you resist persists)

Rest – rest and release: allow the sensations to dissolve naturally without trying to push or force them 

SOAR is about remaining open to the painful or uncomfortable emotions/sensations within us without attaching to them or having that energy stay stuck within our bodies. This is a meditative practice that helps us to (1) practice energetic hygiene (2) become more grounded in our bodies and (3) stay connected to the present moment. As such, it’s a wonderful approach to embodied spirituality.

If you’d like to learn more about it, watch our video below:

youtube subscribe button image

*** 

As Clarissa Pinkola Estes writes in her powerful book Women Who Run With the Wolves,

The body remembers, the bones remember, the joints remember, even the little finger remembers. Memory is lodged in pictures and feelings in the cells themselves. Like a sponge filled with water, anywhere the flesh is pressed, wrung, even touched lightly, a memory may flow out in a stream.

If our bodies play such a big role in our lives – in both storing trauma and tremendous wisdom – doesn’t it make sense to make them a central part of our spiritual journey? Doesn’t it make sense to see this earthly vessel that we all carry as sacred and worthy in its own right?

Embodied spirituality is not just a necessity but it is a sign of mature, integrated, and balanced spirituality that doesn’t deny or indulge the body, but honors and respects it.

So tell me … what role has your body played on your spiritual journey? I’d love to hear below!

Image of wise old hands
If you need more help, we offer 3 powerful ways to guide you on your inner journey:

1. The Spiritual Wanderer Course: Feeling lost or uncertain about your path and purpose in life? Gain clarity and focus by learning about the five archetypes of awakening within you. Discover your deeper path and purpose using our in-depth psychospiritual map. Includes 3+ hours of audio-visual content, workbooks, meditations, and a premium test.

2. Shadow & Light Membership: Seeking ongoing support for your spiritual journey? Receive weekly intuitive guidance and learn to embrace your whole self, including your shadow side. Deepen your self-love and receive personal support from us.

3. Spiritual Awakening Bundle: Ready to soul search and dive deep? Access our complete "essentials" collection of beloved journals and eBooks. Includes five enlightening eBooks and seven guided journals, plus two special bonuses to further illuminate your path.

More Illumination

  • Ai generated image of a woman standing facing a wolf in a forest with a ring of fire behind her symbolic of the kundalini awakening stages
    9 Kundalini Awakening Stages of Mystical Transformation
  • Image of a beautiful sunrise across the mountains symbolic of being present in the moment
    5 Practices For Being Present (+ One Major Pitfall to Avoid)
  • Ai generated image of a mystic woman and a wolf
    What is a Mystic? (12 Signs You’re One)
  • Ai generated image of a mystical wolf staring at the moon in the night sky symbolic of ensoulment
    What is Ensoulment? (The Path of the Spiritual Wanderer)
544 shares
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print

About Aletheia Luna

Aletheia Luna is a prolific psychospiritual writer, author, educator, and intuitive guide whose work has touched the lives of millions worldwide. As a survivor of fundamentalist religious abuse, her mission is to help others find love, strength, and inner light in even the darkest places. She is the author of hundreds of popular articles, as well as numerous books and journals on the topics of Self-Love, Spiritual Awakening, and more. [Read More]

(41) Comments

    Want to share your thoughts? Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Your email address will remain 100% private.

  1. Xen X says

    September 05, 2023 at 8:40 am

    My body has reminded me that I’m old and battered!

    Reply
  2. AnonymousPerson says

    July 11, 2023 at 2:33 pm

    Though, one thing to point out is that embodied spirituality is difficult if you have issues with your body image. All these physical exercises would be considered rather uncomfortable for the average person insecure in their body, so here are some related phrases/terms to google if you want to explore more about this topic. 1. Statistics on body image 2. How to improve body image. 3. How to practice body positivity 4. How to practice body neutrality 5. Body image books 6. Eating disorder recovery books 7. Eating disorder recovery blogs/websites 8. Salem Tovar on YouTube 9. oliSUNvia on YouTube 10. Shanspeare on YouTube (my favorite in this list) 11. Karolina Zebrowska on YouTube 12. Jordan Theresa on YouTube 13. Body image in men / Male body dysmorphia / muscle dysmorphia 14. Body image in older women 15. TED talks on body image 16. Body positive social media accounts 17. asapSCIENCE also has a good video on it on YouTube (Also if you’re not very informed on how science works due to a lack of education growing up, as I expect on this blog full of people with fundamentalist religious histories, I recommend asapSCIENCE for beginners, to offer useful/practical science you may make use of in your life.) 18. tifannyferg (My second favorite on this disorganized list) 19. Body positivity / Body image journal prompts 20. Body image affirmations 21. Body image in psychology 22. Body image worksheets 23. Body image stories 24. Social media and body image 25. Unrealistic beauty standards for women

    Reply
  3. eLFiN LaDy says

    January 04, 2021 at 4:40 am

    In 2012 I met a young lady named EML (for her safety) we were talking and all the sudden she looked at me and said “YOU’RE JUST LIKE ME. YOU’RE JUST A KID LIKE ME” it takes a child TO SEE the heart of a child… I busted out bawling when she said that GOD used her and VALIDATED me… “THIS WARRIOR has the heart of a child”. Last Sunday I met my niece’s boyfriend… he told her that “I WAS CHILD LIKE” and the universe needs more like me. . . Again… I cried.
    BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED FOR WE LET OUT/in THE LIGHT

    Reply
    • Aletheia Luna says

      December 24, 2021 at 10:00 am

      Maintaining that childlike spirit in this world takes a lot of courage indeed ♡

      Reply
    • Alita says

      June 21, 2022 at 7:22 am

      Thank you for sharing!❤

      Reply
  4. Robert D. says

    October 25, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    I would like to add one more very crucial point and proven method of healing the mind, body and soul. I suffered from “bipolar disorder”. After instinctively using what is called hydrotherapy, a.k.a. cold shower, I have released trauma stored in the body and removed chakra blockages, basically holding the water over my most painful areas, where there is pressure, and slowly proceeding to each chakra. This has helped like nothing else. I am still on a small dose of medications, but I feel like a new person already, with unlimited energy and still mind. By the way, the Essenes , Jesus’s sect immersed themselves 3 times a day in a running river water to keep themselves clean. Hope this can help somebody already suffering. Have a great day! Robert.

    Reply
    • Aletheia Luna says

      October 31, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      Thank you for sharing this, Robert! I tried cold showers for over three years, and they have an amazing way of refreshing the mind and body.

      Reply
  5. Anne-Kristin Jahn says

    October 10, 2020 at 3:09 am

    Thank you very much for the SOAR video. When we came to the last step “rest” I strted to cry out of the blue and felt a great relief and connection to myself, as if I opened a hidden door to enter the whole of my own house. I very much appreciate your beautiful work. It’s amazing how much support you offer. Sending you warm greetings and best whishes, Anne

    Reply
    • Aletheia Luna says

      October 10, 2020 at 11:17 am

      This is just beautiful. Thank you for sharing and for your gratitude Anne-Kristin <3

      Reply
      • Nikhil says

        February 27, 2021 at 3:05 am

        I observe my left and right inclination of the body and how it affects my thoughts and in turn my feelings. Sometimes i am too much lagging towards left.. this is whr i am usually repating my thought patterns.

        Reply
  6. Robert says

    September 27, 2020 at 2:50 am

    Thank you so much for this! It was amazing to go through the meditation. I realized alot of myself when going through this practice.

    Reply
    • Aletheia says

      September 30, 2020 at 1:06 pm

      I’m pleased to hear that Robert! :)

      Reply
  7. Peffs+ says

    September 19, 2020 at 12:41 am

    Great article + advice!

    Reply
    • Aletheia says

      September 20, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      Thank you :)

      Reply
  8. Olivia says

    September 18, 2020 at 1:25 am

    I absolutely love this article, so incredibly important right now. As someone who denied the body as part of my spiritual growth pretty much all my life, working with the body is now a revelation and a necessity. Practicing SOAR quite frequently in recent weeks since discovering it has been completely empowering and magical in such a short space of time for me. I love the idea of “energetic hygiene” as a daily practice. The body is our friend and a vessel that must be taken care of, cleansed and honoured.

    Reply
    • Aletheia says

      September 20, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that SOAR has been empowering and magical for you in a short space of time. Thank you for sharing this Olivia and thank you for taking care of your wellbeing <3

      Reply
  9. Lindsey says

    September 16, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    Can you please explain what you mean by “regenerative grounding” through the body? I love the way it sounds, though I’m not sure I know what regenerative means here. Thank you!! I love this article and the validating message it sends to those who have a strong sense of the importance of our bodies.

    Reply
    • Aletheia says

      September 20, 2020 at 3:41 pm

      By regenerative I mean healing and energizing (with ‘regenerative’ basically being a synonym of those two words). I’m so glad this article was validating for you Lindsey! <3

      Reply
  10. Maha says

    September 16, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    “Bodies are an undeniably powerful gateway to the present moment.” WOW! This is ALL I needed to hear right now! Great article! Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Aletheia says

      September 20, 2020 at 3:38 pm

      Thank you Maha!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Popular Guides

  • Spiritual Awakening
  • Inner Child Work
  • Shadow Work
  • Dark Night of the Soul

Popular Tests

  • What Type of Spiritual Wanderer Are You?
  • What Is Your Subconscious Mind Hiding?
  • How Dominant is Your Shadow Self?
  • What Type of Inner Work Suits You?

Popular Offerings

  • Spiritual Wanderer Course
  • Shadow & Light Membership
  • The Spiritual Awakening Bundle
  • Inner Work Bundle

Stages of the Journey

  • Spiritual Calling
  • Resisting The Path
  • Finding Guidance
  • Starting The Journey
  • Turning Inwards
  • Facing The Darkness
  • Illumination
  • Traps & Pitfalls
  • Rebirth
  • Integration

Footer

↑ back to top

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, this means whenever you buy a book on Amazon from a link on this website, we receive a small percentage of its price at no extra cost to you.

 

Walk the path less traveled

Image of aletheia luna and mateo sol

Welcome! Our names are Aletheia Luna & Mateo Sol and we’re spiritual educators currently living in Perth, Western Australia. What's this website about? For spiritual rebels and outsiders, our mission is to help you dissolve the shadows that obscure your inner Light and find peace, love, and happiness. Unlike other spiritual spaces, lonerwolf focuses on approaching the spiritual awakening journey in a discerning and down-to-earth-way. Start here »

 

Let The Universe Choose My Message!

About

  • About us
  • Our Principles
  • Reposting Our Work?
  • Moon Phase Spiritual Meaning Calculator

Newsletter

  • Are you a spiritual wanderer or outsider? Feeling lost, confused, or alone? Sign Up for our weekly LonerWolf Howl newsletter for Soul-centered guidance – it’s free!

Whadjuk Noongar

  • We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Whadjuk people of Noongar Boodjar. We recognize their continued connection to the land and waters of this beautiful place and acknowledge that they never ceded sovereignty. We respect all Whadjuk Elders both past and present, and any First Nations people.

 

Luna & Sol Pty Ltd © 2012 - 2025 LonerWolf.com. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy & Terms

544 shares