The Five Values of Becoming mBODYed: Belonging
For years, I’ve asserted that the Alexander Technique teaches us that we belong to ourselves first and foremost. It wasn’t until I realized that belonging is actually a sense, part of our proprioception, that I gained the confidence to speak about it and its value in our work. If we truly believe the mind and body are inseparable, we must address self-belonging in our somatic practice. It is fundamental to our safety, learning, and creativity. True self-belonging is something we feel—it’s often something we just “know,” even if we can’t fully articulate it.
My own somatic journey led me to this wisdom (I don’t remember where it came from, but it’s not mine): “The language of the body is in feelings and sensations.” I add to this: “It’s up to us to give words to these feelings and sensations, which requires that we live in our bodies, experiencing both its simplicities and complexities. We need these experiences to know and find meaning in what we sense within.”
Belonging is a sense that requires interpretation, and that interpretation comes from comparison with past experiences.
Belonging is also a spectrum; it’s not just a matter of whether we belong or don’t belong. At least, that’s my experience. My body tells me, “You belong, but only to a certain degree, or only under certain conditions…” There are always limitations and conditions.
For me, my SELF is the only place where I truly belong—unconditionally, unabashedly, and without limitation. In fact, the more I grow, the more I realize that my SELF requires me to show up fully—without limitations, embracing all my complexities: my successes and failures, my assurances and doubts, my confidence and fears. It is within the paradox of all these experiences that I find truth and meaning. Here is where I belong. This is what I continue to learn on my journey into my SELF.
My somatic journey, especially in the last three years, has revealed both strength and courage, along with immense fear and vulnerability. It seems every day is a choice to simply show up—broken, yet in the process of repair and healing.
What has your journey into your own SELF been like? What has your SELF revealed to you? Have you experienced the joy and fear of true self-belonging?