Bodyfulness - A Starting Point
“Meditation is to be aware of what is going on: in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world.
(Thich Nhat Hanh)
Bodyfulness: Returning to the Wisdom Within
You’ve certainly heard of mindfulness… but bodyfulness?
You can be forgiven for not yet having this new word in your daily vocabulary. It’s the theme of our Winter Meditation Box because, like the world outside that is now slowing into stillness, this season calls us inward ... to reflect, to rest, and to grow quietly beneath the surface. As our bodies naturally slow and we retreat from the busyness around us, winter offers a tender invitation to rediscover presence within ourselves, gently resisting the pull toward disconnection and lethargy by mindfully exploring the landscape of being 'a body'.
So, what is bodyfulness ... and how does it relate to meditation?
Bodyfulness is more than just being aware of your body. It’s about inhabiting your body, fully and lovingly. Feeling your breath move through your ribs. Noticing the weight of your body on the earth. Listening to the quiet messages your body is always sending.
In our busy world, we’re often encouraged to override or ignore those signals. We numb out, push through, or disconnect. And in meditation, we are sometimes guided to let go of bodily sensations and move past them.
But what happens when we stay with the body instead?
What if we let the body speak before the mind tries to explain?
When we treat our tension, our breath, our restlessness - not as distractions, but as invitations?
The term bodyfulness was introduced by therapist Christine Caldwell to describe this deeper kind of presence ... where the body isn’t just observed from a distance, but truly lived in.
Can you remember a moment - dancing, stretching, walking in nature, swimming in the ocean - when your awareness dropped into your body and everything suddenly felt more grounded, more present, more real. That’s bodyfulness.
Bodyfulness is about connecting deeply with your physical self ... sensing the quiet language of body sensations, emotions, and movement. It’s not just the mind watching the body, but a warm and curious attention within the body. It treats the body as wise. As home. As a source of connection. You could say it’s mindfulness with muscle and breath and heartbeat — a kind of meditation that lives inside your tissues.
How is bodyfulness different from (or similar to) mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention, in the moment ... noticing what arises in your mind, body, or emotions without judgment. It often begins with the breath or a gentle focus on thoughts.
Bodyfulness deepens that by shifting attention fully into the body itself. Instead of just noticing that you’re breathing, you might feel the breath’s journey from the cool touch of air at the nostrils, through your chest and down into your belly. Instead of just observing your thoughts, you might sense the tension in your shoulders or sensations in your belly that precede or arrive with that thought.
The two practices really do complement each other beautifully. Where mindfulness strengthens awareness, bodyfulness roots it in your physical being - grounding you, softening you, and helping you feel more alive, as a 'body'.
Have you ordered your Winter 'Bodyfulness' Box?
ORDER NOW. Shipping 6th June.
If you are not yet a subscriber of The Meditation Box but would like to join us in exploring some of the seasonal themes that we journey through .. SIGN UP for our new weekly Practice Newsletter where I share a weekly practice in alignment with our seasonal theme. Practice Newsletter every Tuesday at 6am (Australia)