The Body Knows the Way: Discovering the Power of Embodied Meditation
If you’ve ever tried to meditate and found yourself fidgeting, restless, or wondering whether you’re “doing it right,” you’re not alone. Many of us begin meditation thinking it’s about quieting the mind — about corralling our thoughts into stillness through sheer effort or will. But if you’ve ever noticed your mind getting noisier the more you try to be still, that’s because stillness doesn’t start in the head.
Stillness begins in the body.
When we only approach meditation from the neck up, we cut ourselves off from one of our greatest sources of wisdom and stability — our physical presence. The body is always here, always now. It breathes, beats, and senses without needing to be convinced. When we reconnect with this living landscape, meditation becomes less about controlling our thoughts and more about inhabiting our lives fully.
The Myth of the “Perfect Meditator”
There’s an image we carry — of the serene person cross-legged in lotus pose, face glowing with calm. But most of us, when we sit, find our knees ache, our spine curls, and our mind leaps like a monkey through a thousand windows.
This is not failure. This is simply what it feels like to begin.
Meditation is not about suppressing movement or emotion but allowing what’s alive in us to be seen and softened. The moment we try to force stillness, we’re no longer in relationship with ourselves — we’re in resistance.
The embodied approach to meditation begins here: instead of fighting the body’s natural rhythms, we listen to them. We feel the rise and fall of the breath, the weight of the body on the earth, the subtle vibration of life that’s been there all along.
When we ground awareness in physical sensation, the mind finds something trustworthy to rest on. We no longer float in thought; we root in experience.
The Intelligence Beneath Thought
The body has its own kind of intelligence — one that doesn’t use words but communicates through rhythm, pulse, and instinct. When you drop attention down into your feet, your belly, your heart, you begin to sense this quiet knowing.
Modern life pulls us in the opposite direction. Screens draw us up and out. We think our way through everything — relationships, work, even rest. But living entirely from the mind is like trying to dance while watching yourself in a mirror: you’re there, but you’re not truly in it.
Embodied meditation invites us to step back into the dance. To remember that mindfulness isn’t something we have to achieve — it’s something we return to, like a home we forgot we had.
Why Meditation Feels Hard (and Why It Doesn’t Have to)
Many people say, “I can’t meditate; my mind’s too busy.” But what if a busy mind isn’t a problem to fix, but a signal to listen differently?
When we rest our attention in the body, the mind begins to settle naturally. It’s as if you’ve given a frightened animal somewhere safe to curl up. The body is that safe place — warm, alive, forgiving.
Embodied meditation gives us tools to work with the body rather than against it. You might begin by simply noticing how your feet meet the floor, how your breath moves through your ribs, or how your shoulders drop a little when you exhale. These are gateways — moments where awareness becomes tangible.
Over time, this practice softens not only physical tension but emotional resistance. Instead of trying to “get rid” of thoughts, we learn to feel our way into stillness. It’s not about switching off; it’s about tuning in.
Movement as a Path to Stillness
Stillness doesn’t mean rigidity. In fact, stillness that’s too tight will break. The secret of an embodied practice is movement — gentle, conscious movement that bridges the gap between doing and being.
When we link movement to breath and awareness, we create a living meditation. A stretch becomes a prayer. A sway becomes a conversation with gravity. From this flowing state, settling into stillness feels natural, not forced.
That’s why embodied meditation often begins not with sitting perfectly still, but with moving mindfully — walking, breathing, feeling, allowing. The transition from motion to stillness becomes a continuum, not a wall.
The Gift of an Embodied Practice
The benefits of an embodied meditation practice unfold quietly but profoundly:
Grounded presence – You begin to feel more anchored in your daily life, less tossed about by moods or circumstances.
Emotional regulation – By sensing the body’s cues early, you can meet tension, sadness, or anxiety with compassion before they spiral.
Increased vitality – When energy flows freely through the body, both your physical and mental states brighten.
Authentic connection – Embodiment deepens your relationship with yourself and others; you respond rather than react.
Sustainable meditation – Sitting becomes something you want to do, not a chore or obligation.
These are not lofty promises — they’re the natural outcomes of bringing your awareness home.
Join Us for Embodied Stillness: An Introduction to Meditation
If this speaks to you — if you love movement but find yourself squirming when you sit — we invite you to explore what meditation feels like when you drop out of your head and into your body.
Embodied Stillness: An Introduction to Meditation is a two-hour masterclass designed for exactly this journey. You’ll learn how to link movement with stillness, explore your own unique obstacles to a seated practice, and discover practical tools like a simple breathing sequence and a three-minute mindfulness break you can use anywhere.
Led by Suryadarshini (Surya) — a teacher who fuses Buddhist mindfulness with yoga asana — this workshop is less about performing meditation and more about feeling it. With her guidance, you’ll begin to sense that quiet, radiant place within — not as a distant goal, but as something already alive in you.
Surya’s approach is rooted in years of teaching and practice, from her early training with Bodhiyoga to leading retreats at Dhanakosa in Scotland. Ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2016, her name means “she who has the vision of the sun.” It’s a fitting reflection of how she teaches — illuminating the path gently, helping each of us find our own inner light.
Whether you’re completely new to meditation or looking to reconnect with your practice in a more embodied way, this workshop offers a compassionate, down-to-earth starting point.
Come home to the body. Come home to stillness.
Embodied Stillness: An Introduction to Meditation
🕊️ Two-hour masterclass with Suryadarshini
📅 29th November 2-4pm
💫£30/24 members
Spaces are limited — book early to join us in discovering that meditation doesn’t happen in spite of the body, but through it.
Because when you learn to listen, the body already knows the way.