Embodied Story-Telling

There are two primary reasons why the vast majority of self-help fails to help.

The first is that self help is often disembodied in the truest sense: we as a culture forgets that we are bodies, we are embodied intelligence walking, grasping, exploring, feeling, breathing, and more. And, we do not think with our disembodied minds. No, we think with our nervous system, which is embodied.

This is why cultivating a loving relationship with the body through somatic practices is so valuable. 

The second is that self-help lists ( 6 lessons I learned from… 7 habits of…) are not what provides lasting benefit, and indeed they are not how we even think. For humans, to think is to think in narrative. We live our lives as we write a story, not a list. 

I'm sure that you have read plenty of good self-help books that offer sound advice (have strong habits, be resilient, have good boundaries, etc.) But, one of the primary reasons such good advice doesn’t stick is because there is a fundamental disconnect—good advice without a story doesn’t become a part of us. 

Can you recite the list of lessons from your favorite self help book? Do you remember all 12 rules for life? All 7 habits of highly effective people? The 13 principles to think and grow Rich?  Probably not.

But, can you recite the play-by-play of your favorite story and the important lessons the characters learns contained within it? Absolutely. And, you’d probably be excited while doing it. 

Without a narrative, even the best advice is just a dead, passionless list of do’s and don'ts. It is not truly memorable, and it can not impact the deepest level of your psyche, your soul. 

 This is why story is key to transformation. We remember stories. In fact, we are a story, or more accurately, a series of interwoven stories.  

Consider a relationship with a loved one, a career dream, a five year plan, or even just a trip to a grocery store or a bio on a resume. These are all stories, and it is the quality of our stories and the characters within it that dictate the quality of our lives. 

We inevitably fall into being the main character of our lives. We find ourselves, as Heidegger said, being thrown into life, and we are alone in our first-person existence, and the troubles, joys, sorrows, and triumphs contained within it. 

Yet, paradoxically, this being alone in our first person experience is something all humans share, and what we use language to relate to each other with. 

There is a deep common thread in the individual story of our lives. Taken together, we find there is a common human journey; a hero’s journey through life. 

To be human, if one accepts the call, is to become this hero of one’s life. It is to walk barefoot into Mordor, to save one’s family, to redeem the world from evil, or to just form a party with friends and venture forth into the unknown.

This means to dive deep into our selves, to discover the unknown, to breathe deeply, and suck the marrow out of life. It is to embark upon the quest of radical self-knowledge, self-love, and personal transformation. 

And, in doing so, one will certainly find there are just as many dragons, monsters, horrors, and treasures, seductive lovers, and hidden wonders, as all of our best stories contain. 

Let’s not forget, that every story was written by a human; every story is born from within the collective mind of humanity. This means that the world within you is larger than not just the greatest of stories, but all of the greatest stories.

This is the difference with embodied story-telling.

Through the tools of intentional embodiment, shadow integration, and the power of myth, philosophy, and depth psychology, I want to help you become aware of yourself, accept your shadow, and then transform, so that you can write the next best chapter of your life.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out my offerings, where I further discuss each of these elements.

And, if you’re excited by these ideas, please don’t hesitate to schedule your free 20 minute consultation on how embodied-storytelling can help change your life for the better.