Embodiment is about the relationship between consciousness and the physical body and our physical senses

From the website of Andrew Cook, a cranio sacral therapist. I love this accessible description. Thanks, Andrew!

EMBODIMENT

This is a big topic, and one that is not so easy to translate into a medicalised model of the human body. It is about the relationship between what we call consciousness - something very difficult to define - and the physical body and our physical senses. Put simply, if the more embodied we become, then the following experiences become more regular features of our waking experience:

• our sense of connection through the body (so that it is experienced as continuous, strong and self-aligned) is increased
• our waking awarenes of the body's presence always occupies a proportion of our awareness - even when we are thinking or fully engaged with the outside world
• our ability to be in the present moment with our body and throughts and emotions is increased
• we have a strong sense of self and a strong sense of our own physical presence - which in turn is an important aspect of self-confidence
• body movement is fluid (as opposed to stiff or disjointed)
• we are aware of the environment we live in and how it affects us, and at the same time have an inner resilience which allows us to not be overwhelmed by this increased awareness
• the senses are brighter and more alert, and at the same time there is a greater sense of peace
• we inhabit the observer part of ourselves, and so are less driven by strong emotopns and thoughts
• we have a more direct and conscious connection to instincts, and are able to choose to use this information as and when appropriate

It takes a long time to arrive at all of this (and it's a lifes work), but even a small step along this route can yield big rewards. There is no chartable path along which any typical person or any individual person will progress in embodyment - there are so many variables, and it depends to some extent on where you started from, where you are now, and what your current goals are.