Ever got somewhere only to not remember really getting there? I remember a car journey once that I took to a friend’s house and I was so lost in thoughts about what had happened that day , that I completely could not remember my journey to her house.  This is an  experience we call ‘ being out of your body.’

When having the honour of mentoring people I often witness most who are not in their bodies.. Its true! Many of the greatest Teachers of our time witnessed westerns as being completely out of their body. What does this actually mean?  Well we spend an awful lot of time in our heads, thinking , engaged in our own conversations or worries , anxiety or negative thoughts. This is a  time in our world where we spend a lot of time connected to technology; TV, the internet ,social media and our phones and little time connected to nature and actually feeling, witnessing and being very present with our physical body.  It is usually pain that is the main factor that brings people in their body.    There are also times that we begin to have accidents , breaking things, falling over, creating problems by not being mindful ! This is also a sign that we are out of body.

The point we get to when we experience pain or accidents are the last attempts at getting your attention to give your body some attention! How often in a day do you stop, sit in silence, allow yourself to connect to your breath or your physical body? This space is needed if we are to sit deeply inside our self.  If we don’t do this then we cause ourselves all manner of issues ranging from powerlessness to depression. The thoughts and the virtual world can literally make us walking zombies. In our head space , in our disconnectedness to the true self that lives beyond the mind and pain body we can find peace, harmony , our true voice and power.

“ The quieter you become the more you can hear”

Ramm Dass

There are many other psychological reasons for being out of the body such as blocked emotions and Trauma. If as a child we were constantly getting messages that our needs were not important , if we were shamed or abused we would have ‘left our bodies’ as a way of coping. We separate from the self ( that place inside we can connect to when we are out of our heads, away from stimulus and in silent connection to our internal world)  as a way of protecting it.   The out of body can make us feel as though we are invisible , so we can hide, hide from people, hide from life, hide from situations because we don’t want to face them.  There may be emotions that you just don’t want to face as they seem too much or too painful . 

People who are not in their body can appear spacey , vague or confused. With those I mentor I can see similar language that appears ‘I don’t know’ , ‘ I am not sure’ , ‘I can’t decide’ , ‘I am numb’. The out of body experience leads them to float and avoid making life changing decisions or step Into their power. Continued out of body behaviour can make people create an untrue version of themselves; calling themselves different names or giving themselves titles as to avoid the reality of who they are. They may exaggerate their gifts, associations and even make stories about what they are doing.Extreme disassociation can lead people to believe they are saints , super hero’s or they may form different personalities.  

We all experience ‘out of bodyness’ at some time , all of us , but lengthened periods can really make us lose touch of who we are and what we want. We lose contact with our emotions and no longer can feel deeply, constantly sitting on the edge of them.  We will avoid being on our own , fill our time with always doing stuff: socialising, being on our phone , working , sex , drugs , shopping, drinking , gambling … etc.

Life living in the body holds much more realness, much more joy , much more experience. It is not a false joy that we use to cover up hurt and pain .. it develops a real joy that comes from within that helps us light our passion and thirst for life. The real kind that brings our dreams into matter. That kind of embodiment is always visible in those who create physically in our world.  (Be aware of those who TALK about joy, manifestation and creating with no physical manifestation- it’s a sign of disassociation!)

How to COME INTO YOUR BODY

In my Somatic Experiencing and Therapy training  I studied to support people come into their body . As a Yoga teacher Trainer I know that Yoga helps some but not all ! Somatic experience is different for everyone, some use yoga to escape, I now I did at certain times of my life. Being open to the fact you may be out of body is far more empowering than being stuck in the idea that you’re not and therefore staying disempowered.

If there is enough demand for it I am willing to offer a FREE half hour session to you all to give you a technique that allows you to GET IN YOUR BODY. Direct message me to show your interest.

Collette Corcoran

P.s

Here is a link to one of the clients on my courses who has been working on this piece under my mentorship.

TRIINU

“Something struck me some days ago - I’m not completely in my body. And I’m a yoga teacher. So I “should” be, shouldn’t I?

On the last couple of days, I’ve damaged and broken things, and burnt my hair with a candle. In addition, I’ve been pointed out that I tend to lean against the walls and things to hold myself up, and my body posture is when sitting.

So yes, even with my daily practice, and ALLLLL the tools and knowledge, I’m still often unconscious about my body - how I use it, the movements I make and what affect these can have on me and my surroundings and other people.

I’ve really had to feel into what’s been happening and with all the support of my friends and the shadow work courses I’m constantly taking, it’s all showing me big time my piece of powerlessness and how that plays out for me with wanting to escape my body.

When we’re not fully embodied, connected with our bodies, we are not truly present, we do not experience these moments, and the situations with all their high and lows. Being numbed out, disconnected from the reality, the life simply becomes more grey, our ability to respond to these situations is more limited and less “adequate”. This is where we (and I) give our power away to others, the circumstances we’re not satisfied with (or in the big picture - to whole regimes, governments etc..)

The more work we do on ourselves, the more me see our

and how changing this

makes us more conscious and better human beings.

So yes, more morning walks, and walks bare feet in the nature for me from now on

How about you - is there something you can you do to become more connected with your body and therefore, with your reality?”