Bonus Episode: Embodied Living

It's true! God created you for an embodied, present, with-God life. What does that look like?

Whitney shares a practical path for embodied spirituality that honors the body as part of the journey with God and invites prayer through senses, breath, movement, and imagination. With trauma-informed care and ancient wisdom, listen for encouragement and guidance to connect with God using your whole self. 

This bonus episode of Exploring Peace Meditations is an excerpt from With God in Every Breath by Whitney R. Simpson. For more on Embodied Living, see page 9, of With God in Every Breath.

Transcript

Why Bodies Matter In Christian Life

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Embodied living. Humanity, take a good look at yourself. Inside you've got heaven and earth and all of creation. You're a world. Everything is hidden in you. Hildegard of Bingen ten ninety eight to eleven seventy nine. Oh the body, we talk about the body a lot in our culture. We are told what it should eat and drink, how it should look, move, and so on. And while the body does get much attention in our Western culture, it is sadly an emphasis on external focus rather than internal. Celeste Snober Schroeder writes in Embodied Prayer, the focus is on outer appearance, denying the relationship between the body and heart, mind and soul. It is true, your mind and body are extraordinary. God created you with an imagination and senses. God created you to feel, to sense, to be present. God created you to live life fully with Him. God created you for a with God life. One part of us that is often left behind in Christian churches today seems to be the most obvious, the body. I am passionate about embodied spirituality because God has met me in intimate and healing ways in my very own body. Whether this statement makes you feel seen or you are confused by what I could mean by embodied spirituality, this audiobook is for you. Although our culture often invites us to think about the negative traits of our bodies, I believe our bodies are good and created in the image of our Creator. As W. David O. Taylor reminds us in A Body of Praise, our physical bodies are not separate or secondary to the divine image that we bear as human beings. They are fundamental to the Imago Day. Amago Day means that we are made in the image of God, and that is indeed good news. Practicing embodiment with God means using the body's sensations to become more aware, remain present, feel whole, love ourselves better, and even get to know our Creator better, the one whose image we are made in. Embodiment practices can help each of us more fully discover the person God created and become more connected to the one who created us, God. As Christians, this matters because the more connected we are to ourselves and our Creator, the more we can express our God-given longings, needs, gifts, and desires. The body of Christ needs us each to live into our best selves. Can you imagine a world where everyone is connected, grounded, centered, and whole because of their relationship with their creator? What a gift. In honoring the body, meditations on a Christian practice, Stephanie Paul Cell writes that the practice of honoring the body is a vital aspect of Christian spirituality. But spirituality is often understood as being made up solely of what individuals do alone, like solitary prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading. And because what is spiritual is often opposed to what is bodily, these activities are often understood as somehow disembodied, as if they engage the mind and spirit alone. We must not separate what is spiritual from what is bodily. We must bring them together if we long to meet God with our whole selves, body, mind, and spirit. Hillary McBride reminds us in The Wisdom of Your Body, embodiment is the conscious knowing of and living as a body, not as a thing distinct from the self or the mind. It is the how, what, why, where, and who of existence, the ground zero of consciousness, of present moment living. It is to be present to yourself and your experience from the inside out. Along the way, my journey with embodiment has included gaining a better appreciation and respect for the parts of me that have experienced trauma, negative self-talk, and outright disrespect for the body God gave me. Thank goodness, body positivity is being talked about more and more regarding weight, size, shape, and ability. You may or may not have a positive relationship with the body God gave you at this season of your life. However, you can still practice embodied spirituality. You may even find that becoming more embodied gives you more compassion and care for the body God has given you. I am living into this practice each day. I would love for you to come along with me. On this devotional journey, we practice embodied spirituality and engage the whole self through somatic prompts, imagination, and the mind-body connection. Embodied spirituality is a very personal way to engage with God. Yet it is also quite powerful when shared or experienced communally. We are all unique. So my response to an image or passage differs from my neighbors. Exploring embodied spirituality with others allows us to see and hear things we may not have noticed otherwise and can enrich our spiritual formation experience. If you long to enrich your experience, consider journeying through this audiobook and these exercises alongside others, perhaps by asking an accountability partner, spiritual friend, or small group to journey with you. This devotional is an invitation to connect or reconnect with Jesus. And do not be surprised if not all your interactions leave you with peace initially. Some may offer you curiosity, frustration, or even discouragement. After all, Jesus invites our whole selves on this journey. If your senses or imagination bring up feelings you are not expecting, ask this question, often used in spiritual direction, where is God in this? See what arises for you. I will say this again with new words. Try not to avoid the curious or unexpected when you journey through this audiobook. Remember, Jesus' life had many highs and lows. And we have opportunities to engage with them all and see what they offer us on our own journeys, which are also filled with highs and lows. Be reminded that if you find yourself accessing unpleasant memories or trauma when you engage your senses and imagination, seek professional companionship from a trained counselor or therapist. Allowing what you are feeling to be processed in your mind and body is a powerful healing opportunity. And it is helpful to have a trusted companion or guide as you learn to listen to the gift of your body. I have not always considered myself an embodied person. Before my health crisis, I had no concept of what a whole body experience might look or feel like. Becoming an embodied person is indeed a spiritual practice. Yet if we are mindful and aware, there are plenty of opportunities to be present within our bodies. Additionally, living in a present and embodied way helps us reduce stress, balance the nervous system, decrease experiences of anxiety and depression, and provide a sense of overall well-being. In ministry at the intersection of spiritual direction and yoga, I have worked with many people to help them practice embodied living and discover a connection to God through embodied spirituality. From survivors of trafficking to burned-out clergy, to college students, to kids, and senior adults, one thing we have in common is that we all have bodies. And those bodies sense all that is happening around us. If we can learn to live in a more embodied and present way, using our whole selves, we can connect with God no matter our situations, surroundings, or circumstances. Now you may wonder how one could have a whole body experience while listening to an audiobook. Connecting with your whole self as you connect with God is a form of embodied spirituality. We go beyond head knowledge. I invite you to listen to this book as a full body experience. If that feels outside your comfort zone, that is okay. I hope you will trust me as your companion as we lean into this sensory experience and embrace embodiment as a spiritual practice together. Using our senses is where we start on this embodied journey of connecting with Jesus as we reach for his healing touch. The senses. Note, if some of your senses have diminished or failed, use the senses you have access to as a guide on this journey with Jesus. Each of the gospel passages chosen for these reflections makes note of some form of sensory experience. As you read, you will notice an opportunity to connect with Jesus through your body. What is there to see?

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What is there to hear? What is there to taste? What is there to breathe in?

Sensing As A Path To God

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What is there to touch? Most of us are familiar with our five main senses sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Some lesser known senses are harder to explain than these more obvious ones. For example, one class of sensation is known as extrosception, which is how we take in information from our surroundings. We also have interoception and proprioception. As experiential learning specialist Amanda Blake explains in her book, Your Body is Your Brain, interoception is essentially the inverse of extrosception and helps you feel what is happening inside you. Examples of interoception include, do you feel hot, cold, hungry, thirsty, happy, sad, or tired? Introsception helps you notice the emotions that stir in you after you reflect on a passage or a meditation. Proprioception lets you notice where your body is in space and helps you coordinate your movements and sense of balance. For instance, with your eyes closed, you can feel your hands in your lap or arms beside your body without looking to see them there. Proprioception helps you ride a bike or hold a book in your hands as you read. Using mindfulness, we can engage each of our main senses, as well as extrasoception, interoception, and proprioception, and live in a more embodied way. After my stroke, I struggled with interoception and proprioception, embodied living, mindfulness, and much patience have helped me engage these senses again. Some of us are better at sensing all that is around us than others, and that is okay. I invite you to pause now and notice your body as you listen. What do you sense around you in this moment? What sense can you most connect with externally?

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Sight, sound, taste, smell, or touch.

Interoception And Proprioception Explained

Pause To Notice Your Body

Imagination As A Spiritual Tool

Ignatian Roots And Brain Science

Why Meditation And How It Feels

Practical Reflections From Retreats

Trauma-Informed Options And Safety

Befriending The Body In Healing

Walking With Jesus In Practice

Flexible Ways To Use The Devotions

Daily Rhythm And Consistency Tips

Place, Silence, And Anchors

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Now allow yourself to connect to what you are sensing on the inside. Ask God to help you notice any internal sensations that arise as you begin this audiobook. Ask God to help you be more present in your devotional time and in your daily life. The encouraging part is that these reflections go beyond our external senses and bring us inward on our journey with Jesus. They help us practice presence in our lives and with our Creator. You are invited to use all your senses and your whole self along the way. I invite others to engage the whole self and be in the present moment often. It is a practice I have not mastered for myself, none of us have. Meditation and prayer are called practices for a reason. We return to them again and again and again. And so with that mindset, we come to these meditations to be present and practice using our senses and imaginations to meet God. If that feels intimidating or overwhelming, take a deep breath and continue listening when you're ready. Imaginative prayer There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it. Brother Lawrence, circa sixteen fourteen to sixteen ninety one. In addition to engaging your senses, you will use your imagination and draw closer to God. Why the imagination? Imagination is a gift from our creator. We were made to use our imaginations, and this is a resource that is often overlooked or ignored, especially regarding spirituality in the Christian tradition. Theologian and pastor Gregory Boyd writes, we might say imagination, when guided by the Holy Spirit and submitted to the authority of Scripture, is our main receptor to the spiritual world. Sadly, the modern Western world has been largely dismissive of this receptor. What if, rather than dismissing this receptor, we used our imaginations as a tool to connect with God? Might it change the way we pray? Might we find God more accessible to us? This audiobook offers a unique invitation to meet God through Jesus in the scriptures, through prayer, reflection, and imagination. It will help serve as a guide to give you the confidence and companionship you need to meet your creator with your whole self and allow scripture to come to life for you in a new and creative way. Imaginative prayer is not a new concept for Christians. In fact, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who lived from 1491 to 1556, had a remarkable imagination and was convinced that God can speak to us as surely through our imagination as through our thoughts and memories. Ignatius taught and led Christ's followers through exercises that engaged their imaginations and often used the gospels to meet Jesus in his teachings through what he called the spiritual exercises. Praying with our whole selves, imagination, senses, breath, movement, feelings, is an embodied form of contemplation. Our bodies and brains were designed by God and meant to be accessed. In his book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, Dan Harris writes, In recent years, there has been an explosion of research into meditation, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure, boost recovery after the release of the stress hormone cortisol, improve immune system functioning and response, slow age-related atrophy of the brain, and mitigate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. While I share this data to show the science, it may be worth noting that Harris was not simply a skeptic of meditation prior to a life-changing experience, but is also a self-proclaimed skeptic of God's existence. As with many of the practices of embodied living we will explore in this devotional, some resources do have roots outside Christianity and can also be helpful in our journey to grow closer to Jesus. When we thoughtfully incorporate these into a scripture-based worldview and lifestyle, we can be less skeptical. If you are a skeptic, lean into the brain science and consider this devotional one that is not only good for your spirit, but also good for your whole self. Be present with yourself and your imagination in your quiet time, and you will likely come away feeling refreshed and more connected with your Creator. Guided Meditation. Whether or not you have actively practiced any type of formal meditation, you have paused and experienced the benefits. Think about a time you gazed on a beautiful sunset, held a loved one's hand in the quiet, or savored a cup of your favorite warm beverage, and genuinely tasted and smelled the experience. Each of these examples is a meditative experience. Our journey will tap into the practice of savoring time apart with God and allowing Jesus to be our guide each step of the way. People think that because I often, not always, seem or sound calm or peaceful, that is my natural inclination. But that is not true. Finding peace takes much practice, and I am grateful I discovered these tools to help me. I need the practices of prayer and meditation in my life. I began exploring Christian meditation after my health crisis when I was in my early 30s, 20 years ago. It took me years to settle into my own meditation practice because it was challenging and uncomfortable at first. Oftentimes, it still is. Many people find meditation intimidating, but it does not need to be intimidating or scary. If prayer is talking to God, meditation is simply quieting our minds and listening to God. And I long to listen to God whenever possible. Here are a few things I've learned over the years. The practice of listening to God through meditation helps us find inner stillness. We are not striving for anything at all. We are simply resting in God's presence and giving ourselves a break from thinking. Christian meditation does not require an emptying of our minds. Instead, it quiets our minds. And helps us rest in God's presence. It is a great way to cultivate peace, self-esteem, clarity, presence, and better relationships. Meditation is beneficial at any time of day. I find that a morning meditation, silent or guided, sets the tone for my entire day, and an afternoon meditation gives me the pick-me-up I need when my energy fades. No matter the time of day, I get to be with God. Meditation can be practiced anywhere. My meditation practice today does not typically look like sitting on a pillow in the corner of a candlelit room, although that is fun too. I often meditate in my bed, in my car, on my couch, on my yoga mat, while walking, or outside under a tree. On a recent retreat, after holding space for retreatance and facilitating a time of guided meditation, I asked them to share what it was like to invite Jesus into their quiet meditation time on purpose. Here are some reflections that arose from their sharing. It's like fog on the lake clearing away with the sunrise. It's like a snow globe going from heavily shaken and stirring to calm and settled. It's like Jesus has taken a broom and is helping me clean the cobwebs and dust out of each room of my house or the corners of my mind. What a gift it is to slow down and offer our minds and hearts to God. What a delight it is to have Jesus clear the cobwebs of our minds. Whether new or experienced, you are not alone in your Christian meditation journey. God is our guide, and I am honored to be your companion along the way. The guided meditations in this audiobook are based on the many meditations I have experienced and led myself. Ideas spark ideas. If there is anything that does not resonate or does not feel comfortable, release it or modify it to meet your needs. This is your journey. Consider making these meditations your own if inspiration arises for you while listening. These words are simply guidance to help you engage your whole self and interact with God as inspired by the themes in the passages. We have all experienced different life circumstances. If you find a past trauma or crisis triggered by a passage, invitation, question, or cue, recognize that everything in this audiobook is discretionary. In my training as a trauma-informed yoga instructor, I was taught the importance of options. All prompts, cues, and questions are your option to engage with or not. If something does not resonate, let it go. It is important to feel your feelings, however. If you feel stirred by something you hear or that arises in your imagination, consider exploring that further with a companion. When you recognize a trigger, try not to flee from that sensation. Instead, seek support from a trained and trusted counselor, therapist, spiritual director, or pastor. The sensory cues are designed to be user-friendly. If one is not accessible to your body, modify it to meet your needs. Why is guided meditation good for more than our spirits? Sadly, it is true that today most of us are disembodied and overwhelmed by life. Even those who teach or offer embodied work fall into patterns of disconnecting from our bodies. It is also true that many of us live with some type of trauma, making embodied living even more important in the healing process. Psychologist Dr. Bessel Vanderkolk writes in his authoritative and essential book for anyone interested in trauma and the body, the body keeps the score. Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies. We need to befriend our bodies, becoming more embodied and connected people. Guided meditation can help us, especially when we feel disconnected. Trauma, big or small, lives in our bodies because it happens all around us. We can choose to disconnect from ourselves or connect with our bodies and engage our spirits as we invite God into this healing work. It is possible, but it takes practice. This is your journey with God. Welcome your whole self to it and see what you learn along the way. Whether you find it easy or challenging to connect with God, I hope Jesus will come alive to you through these guided meditations and meet you in these words. Over the years, I have found Jesus to be a practical companion for Christian guided meditation because we can relate to him as a person. He walked, talked, and lived as a human on this earth. Allowing Jesus to be your companion can help you enter these passages, prayers, and meditations with a friend, and embrace guided meditation, especially if it is new or unfamiliar. These devotions can be done individually or with others. You can use them as your daily quiet time, process them with a spiritual director or therapist, savor them on a retreat, experience them with a small group, or even offer them from the pulpit during worship. There is no right or wrong way to engage if you enter with an open mind and heart and genuinely long to meet God in your present experience. Go at your pace, one a day or one a week. The important thing is for you to be consistent and open to meet Christ on your embodied journey, involving your whole self. If you choose one per day, you will notice that there are five days of meditations, one targeted for each sense, and then an interlude section you may choose to listen to at your pace. If you follow this pattern, this audiobook is a six-week guide. Tips for your devotional journey. Some of my favorite tips for establishing a regular quiet time or meditation practice are as follows. Choose a time. You likely know that consistency is a key factor in creating any routine and sustaining habits. You may have 10 minutes in the morning or 20 minutes in the evening to commit to this embodied journey. Start with what works for you and be consistent. If you recognize that the current time no longer works, pick a new one and stick with it. A daily quiet time best benefits my body and spirit, even if it's brief. Consistency is key for me. The time I spend with Jesus varies, but it also adds up. If your schedule varies greatly, consider beginning with a couple of days per week. This is not about legalism. It is about claiming time for yourself and your creator. Find a quiet place. Choose a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. Finding a quiet place without distractions is not always easy. I have been known to practice meditations like these in my closet, my car, my bed, and my bathroom. You can sit on the floor or in a chair, or even lie down and rest in a posture that is calming to you. If you need background sounds to stay present, you can use a meditation app with calming sounds or an instrumental playlist. Remember, you can also put on headphones to block out the world and listen to that day's guided meditation. Silence your surroundings. This feels obvious to say, but sadly it is not. Please turn off the television and silence your phone when journeying with Jesus and your senses through this audiobook. With constant communication, this may be the most challenging tip to embrace. Consider placing your phone on do not disturb mode for the short time you spend with Jesus. Out of habit, I place my phone on do not disturb whenever I open my guided meditations or meditation timer. I'm fairly certain that if Jesus sat down in my living room with me today, I would drop my phone immediately to sense his nearness. You may feel that presence and want to snap a selfie with God before your time is up. I understand capturing moments, and if you do, please tag them later with hashtag with God in every breath so we can connect. But for now, just savor God's nearness and release your distractions. Use an anchor. An anchor is something tangible that you can hold or touch while you read or pray. It may be a cross, prayer beads, a stone, your Bible, an icon, your journal, a cup of tea, or a hand over your heart. Being purposeful with your anchor item reminds you that you are here to be fully present with God, and having an anchor helps remind you when you may be tempted to reach for your phone or task list. Allow your anchor to help you sit with Jesus. Breathe. Once you have found a space and released distractions, take a few purposeful deep breaths before listening. Inhale through your nose, expanding your belly as you breathe in. Pause. Then exhale slowly through your nose or mouth, completely and fully, until every ounce of air feels as if it has left your lungs and your belly deflates. Pause again before your next inhale. Focus on your breath for a few rounds and notice how it feels as the breath moves in and out of your body. God created you and gave you breath. Your breath also serves as an anchor and is a foundational starting point for this quiet time of reflecting with Jesus. As noted eloquently by one of my spiritual teachers, Christine Walters Paintner in The Wisdom of the Body. The breath can also be a tremendous gift in learning how to access and pay attention to body sensations. The breath becomes a tool of awareness and focus for tending to the sensations that arise in the body. I invite you to use the gift of your breath often and let it be a guide into the present. Go slow and let go. Based on the tips I have shared so far, this also seems obvious, but it is not easy. Go slow. Refrain multitasking, let go and be patient. Jesus longs to meet you where you are, and your most important task has already been accomplished. You have chosen to be present with God. Take your time to see what bubbles up during your guided meditation. And if there is nothing beyond the time and space you have made, then that is enough. When your mind wanders, not if, because it will wander, acknowledge your thoughts and let them go.

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Then return to your breath, your anchor, and your meditation.

Breathwork And Letting Go

Gratitude And Gentle Closure

How Each Meditation Is Structured

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Offer gratitude. When your meditation is complete, take a moment to express gratitude for your time apart with your Creator. Thank God for this moment of stillness and connection for your body, mind, and spirit. Consider a big stretch or give yourself a hug. Dance in gratitude. Journal what you have heard, or simply thank God out loud. We are so close to experiencing these sensations together with God. Are you ready? Before we dive in, here is an overview of the format of the guided meditations in this devotional audiobook. Scripture. Each devotion begins with a passage from the message gospels. As you listen, notice the sensory invitations that Jesus and others may have experienced. When you listen to the passage for each meditation, you may wish to listen more than once in the style of Lectio Divina. Refer to interlude, Savoring the Scriptures for more. However you listen, try to be present with your senses. Rather than hearing the words for information, listen to them formationally and allow them to be the grounding point of your time in meditation. Ponder this. This prompt offers a very simple overview and is not meant to be an all-encompassing theological overview of the scripture passage. There are entire commentaries written on single passages in this audiobook. The ponder section invites you to wonder about the passage and be curious about what may have been happening for Jesus or others and to consider how this scripture relates to you today. Guided meditation. Use the meditation tips shared previously for settling into your space and always begin with a deep breath. Then take your time. Consider pausing and closing your eyes as needed to savor what you've heard before moving on. If you are leading others through these guided meditations, invite them to close their eyes if that feels safe. If not, have them gaze on an object in the room or soften their gaze, gently allowing their eyes to fall down the tip of the nose. Be sure to pause, allowing the words to sink in for you and your listener. Your eyes are sensory organs and are an often overworked part of the body. Closing them can help you stay present and pause the receptors that receive loads of information for your brain and body throughout the day. Note, these meditations are a product of creative imagination and spiritual exploration. As with any meditation, feel free to adapt it to suit your needs. Each meditation is an invitation with guidance meant to enhance your connection to God's Spirit. Soak in silence. Allow yourself a moment of silence to soak in what God is inviting you to notice. American priest and centering prayer proponent Thomas Keating wrote, Silence is God's first language. Everything else is a poor translation. Consider what happens when you get quiet and truly listen to your body, letting the outside voices fade away and instead sensing God's presence in the quiet. Give yourself permission to stay there and be quiet as long as you are able, honoring the needs of your body and spirit. Be patient with silence, for although challenging for many, it may be the most valuable part of your contemplative journey. For reflection, I end each devotional with reflection prompts that are meant to help you listen to and sense more deeply what you have heard, sensed, and experienced. As time allows, you may wish to journal your reflections, or if you prefer, pause and quietly reflect rather than write. While there is a bonus body-mind connection when you physically write your reflections, there is no right or wrong way to engage with the prompts. Sensory cue. The sensory cues are meant to be gentle and soothing, and most are to be carried into your day, helping you soak in your meditation beyond your quiet time. These prompts invite you into a somatic connection with your guided meditation. Soma means body in Latin. These sensory cues, or somatic invitations, are all connected to your physical body and are meant to be accessible to everyone. If you experience any discomfort, pain, or overstimulation in your body at any time, adjust or simply stop the activity. It is important to listen to your body and only engage in sensory activities that feel comfortable for you. If you need to physically modify for your body, take these as suggestions or cues and make the invitations applicable.

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Closing prayer.

Scripture, Ponder, And Guided Practice

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Offer your own prayer to God or add to the short prayer prompt as you wish. Bring gratitude into each of your reflections and thank God for anything you may have sensed in the presence of Jesus. Whatever arises, feel it, sense it, or name it before God. Let us begin as we connect with God in every breath, through scripture, meditation, movement, journaling, reflection, and prayer.