I'm busy working my way through Teaching Massage when I make the time and I came across the section in Chapter 2 on embodiment in hands-on training. I found it quite interesting, especially since I had never really seen this before (At least put in this way).
Embodiment
Essentially, your presence and awareness within your body. It is a very holistic concept - relating to your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual connection to your own being. As massage therapists, you could say that our practice is all about facilitating and enhancing our client's embodiment.
Disembodiment
Even before I'd read this section in the book, I discussed these concepts in class. Our modern world has the effect of drawing our presence out of our bodies, with our consciousness out in the story we're watching on TV, on the conversation we're having with the person on the other end of the phone, on the information we see on the computer screen, on all of the tasks we have to do at work. The work that we do has the effect of drawing the recipient back into their body.
Stress
The book identifies a number of things that have a disembodying effect - all stressors. Technology was cited as a primary factor here. Most of what I mentioned in the previous section were based on technology. It makes sense to me since the technology encourages us to focus on things outside of our body. I suppose on a certain level, we could say that the stress response is a cry for attention to draw us back into our body - like a petulant child acting out for attention. Our society shows no signs of becoming any more embodying, in fact it shows just the opposite - a culture of people growing more and more disconnected with their selves.
Massage, meditation, Tai Chi, yoga, exercise, biofeedback - there are many methods for enhancing embodiment. Stress is a disconnection and all of these techniques reconnect.
Any discussion about stress should also include mention of coping strategies. One of the best methods that I have discovered is to determine your stress type. Once you've done that, you can employ coping strategies that help you to deal with your stress more effectively.
Personally, I began working out at the gym again about 6 weeks ago after a long hiatus. Now, I have more energy, a lot more patience, and have restored some of what I think of as my normal sense of calm. Embodiment at it's best!
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