To be embodied means to be present in your physical form as a human being, regardless of race, gender, shape, size or (dis)ability. Renata Harper reflects on the principles of embodiment as well as the extraordinary possibilities it offers.
Embodiment is the difference between merely inhabiting your body and being in relationship with it. It’s a shift from treating your body as a machine to be used—or even abused—to revering it as a beautiful, interconnected system that makes you both unique and just like everybody else. Embodiment is not about achieving a so-called “perfect” body. It’s the very opposite: it’s about embracing your body exactly as it is, right now.
Your body will change (it always has), and you will age (as will everyone else). Some physical changes will be subtle, others more dramatic. Some may bring joy or peace; others, grief or regret.
It is a consistently compassionate way to move through life. Being embodied isn’t (and shouldn’t be) expensive, out of reach, or “woo-woo”. It’s arguably the most natural way to be.
If you’re unhappy with your body—perhaps because of illness, injury, or simply years of self-criticism—it can feel safer to live in your mind, shutting the body out entirely, or to “work” your body in a way that also shuts it out. True embodiment re-establishes balance between body and mind (and spirit). It doesn’t mean being obsessed with your body, nor neglecting thought. It’s not a rigid ideal, but about being your full self.
Embodiment isn’t synonymous with movement—but movement can be one of the most direct ways in. Almost any movement can be embodied if approached with presence and intention.
Practices that punish, dominate or override the body—whether in the gym, on the yoga mat, or elsewhere—often reinforce disconnection, particularly when driven by a need to prove something, gain approval or escape emotional discomfort.
Your body wants to keep you safe. It’s always on your side. Your body is the messenger of your survival system. Sometimes those messages get scrambled—due to trauma, chronic stress or other factors—and this is where gentle re-embodiment can support recalibration.
This body is how you will move through the phases of your life. Does it not seem tragic to treat it harshly? When your body senses it is trusted and cared for, something fundamental begins to soften and transform.
Being in your body brings a kind of honesty. It becomes harder to ignore what feels off: getting wasted, eating food that makes you feel awful, disregarding exhaustion, staying in toxic relationships. Once you begin to really listen, the body tends to speak louder. Some of these patterns can shift naturally; others—like dependencies or eating disorders—may require skilled, therapeutic support.
Being embodied helps you find your voice and stand in your beliefs with clarity. An embodied leader doesn’t just speak about values—they live them. Imagine a world where leaders and citizens were grounded in themselves, attuned to others, and more capable of presence. Would we treat each other—or our planet—the same way?
Note: While this article separates body, mind and spirit as a discursive tool and for clarity, in truth we are one integrated whole. Similarly, I wouldn’t usually use the pronoun “it” to describe my body, but wanted this piece to be gender inclusive.
Originally published in Wild Getaways (edition 4, 2025). The magazine, a collaboration between Love Limpopo and Wild About Hoedspruit, celebrates the region I call home: Hoedspruit, Greater Kruger and the Kruger 2 Canyons Biosphere.
PHOTO: Marta Wave/Pexels
© 2025 WILD YOGA AFRICA
