What Does it Mean to Engage an Embodied Spirituality?

What Does it Mean to Engage an Embodied Spirituality? 2023-01-02T17:21:42-08:00

embodied spirituality
Brittani Burns/Unsplash

Engaging an embodied spirituality isn’t about following rules or doctrines.

It’s about learning to fully experience and root ourselves in the inherent dignity of the world.

  • To see the deep interconnectedness of life and to experience ourselves within it, not separate from it;
  • to engage this interconnectedness (and the ways we attempt to ignore and separate ourselves from it) with our bodies and emotions, not just our intellects;
  • to learn to trust our instincts and our body’s experiences of the world;
  • to honor the inherent dignity within all people and things (including ourselves) with our presence, our capacity to hold space, and our commitment to healing.

In a society dedicated to never-ending production and practices of dualism, scarcity, and domination, working to have an embodied spirituality is countercultural.

It’s a way of saying:

“I won’t perpetuate the dehumanization this system asks of me.”

“I will engage the world in a different way.”

“I will honor you in a different way.”

“I will see myself in a different way.”

And it doesn’t matter if you use the word “spirituality” or not – for many of us, that word has been tainted by our experiences with organized religion. If you are coming into contact with the inherent dignity within someone or something else (or yourself), call it what you need to call it in order to feel the preciousness of that moment.

Trust your experience to tell you what words you need.

 


Happy New Year Book Sale!

Andrew Lang Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life

“In Unmasking the Inner Critic, Andrew Lang has created a beautiful and accessible guidebook to help you do the inner work central to the act of being human.”

—Brian D. McLaren, author, activist, and teacher with the Center for Action and Contemplation

Rooted in the teachings of mystics, saints, poets, and prophets, Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life offers guidance and support for how to move beyond some of our most challenging fears and negative inner narratives.

With an intuitive blend of reflection questions, contemplative practices, action prompts, and his own personal story, Andrew Lang shares the wisdom from secular poets and therapists—as well as from Christianity, Buddhism, and Sufism—that has grounded his workshops for almost a decade.

Discover how to:

  • do the work of inner excavation with spiritual practices that hold and embolden it,

  • dig deeper for a more authentic way of living and being who you truly are,

  • lay aside the masks that keep you from fully experiencing the world,

  • engage the inner life as the beginning of sustainable activism, and

  • live a healthier, more confident, and well-grounded life.

The perfect book for progressive Christians, secular seekers, and those who are deconstructing Christianity, Unmasking the Inner Critic helps us expand our spirituality beyond the institution of religion for our personal transformation and communal healing.

New Year Sale Information

From January 1st-7th, you can get both versions of Unmasking the Inner Critic at a huge discount!

Get the eBook on Amazon here for just $0.99!

Or get the paperback here for only $8 + shipping! (It is currently selling on Amazon for $18.95 + shipping.)

About Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang is an educator in the Pacific Northwest, an alumnus of Richard Rohr’s Living School for Action and Contemplation, and author of Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life. Along with writing regularly, he facilitates workshops helping people to navigate their inner lives and explore their sense of identity and spirituality. You can read more about the author here.
"Thanks Andrew. I'll be checking out some of these resources."

7 Resources for Progressive Christians Who ..."
"Thanks, Andrew. I read your piece not only as a lay theologian, but as a ..."

Church Should Feel Like a Workshop
"You're so, so welcome! Jenny is an absolutely wonderful guide in this work. Here is ..."

Moving Beyond the Harms of Purity ..."

Browse Our Archives