UZAZU Embodied Intelligence Certified Practitioner

The other day I did a deep sponge practice where I then transitioned into cradle. I started out standing and noticed a lot of tension in my body so I sat down and curled inward with my head and neck. It felt like such a gift to give myself the time and space to just sit in such a relaxed way, as opposed to the upright, action-oriented, and other-focused modes I’m in most of the time. Don’t just do something, sit there! It also felt like such a different invitation from sitting in meditation, with a straight back and awareness being the primary intention of the practice. It allowed dropping into a whole other level of experience, not just the mind but the felt sense of beingness. This is embodiment! It was a deep invitation to bring awareness into my body. Where is there tension and can I bring relaxation to those areas? With that I noticed subtle feelings arising and was able to direct my attention through all the elements at play in my life: my feelings states, my mode of being in the world, my relational dynamics, my life engagement. This was a very useful lens for making sense of my feelings from the level of mind. It helped me notice where these feeling states arise in my life. I then took the perspective of awareness, where I was able to just allow myself to feel and have it all be ok. This felt like a complete YES to my inner experience, from the level of body, mind, and awareness. I then brought one arm out into cradle, which I rested on my crossed leg in a soft, open, palms-up gesture and began to bring spaciousness into my inner experience. This simple posture with one hand on my chest and one facing upward on my crossed legs with a curled back in a soft chair was such a beautiful opportunity to allow and be with my self in a way that felt so different from how I usually I am. I then found myself saying things like, “You’re doing so much, Tash. You’re doing such a great job, Tash. Good job, Tash!” It was such a gift to take the time and space to allow and appreciate my own inner experience. Yes, it’s about slowing down, relaxing, and being with what is (sponge). And it’s about bringing kindness, care, attention, and awareness to all that informs my feeling state (cradle, plus the wider perspective of the four elements).