Part 1: Embodiment - The Foundation of a Sacred Business

This is part one of a four part series on the core elements of an embodied business. Embodiment is the missing link in business today that sits at the core of sustainable success.

Embodiment. It’s a word that has gained traction in recent years, but what does it truly mean?

At its core, embodiment is about being fully present in your body—connecting with your senses, emotions, and the energy that flows through you. It’s the practice of coming back to yourself, releasing the layers of conditioning that separate you from your truth.

Historically, embodiment was not something that needed explanation. For much of human existence, we lived in harmony with our surroundings, guided by intuition and natural rhythms. Ancient cultures understood the intelligence of the body and the planet, the way it carries wisdom that goes beyond words. But over time, as systems of control emerged—whether through religion, industry, or colonialism—we became increasingly disembodied. Feelings were suppressed, intuition was dismissed, and cognitive intellect was elevated as the sole authority.

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What Embodiment Is (and Isn’t)

Embodiment isn’t about controlling the body with the mind. It’s not a performance of physicality or forcing yourself into a certain state. Instead, it’s about surrender—releasing tension, letting go of control, and meeting whatever arises in the present moment.

In many ways, children are our greatest teachers of embodiment. When a child feels something, they are the feeling. Sadness, joy, anger—they move through them with pure expression. They cry, scream, laugh, and then let go. There’s no suppression, no internal dialogue questioning whether they’re “too much” or whether their feelings are appropriate.

But as we grow, we’re taught to suppress. "Don’t cry." "Calm down." "Be good." Over time, this conditioning stacks up, teaching us to disconnect from our feelings and our bodies. The more we suppress, the more disembodied we become. We lose touch with our true essence and instead become our conditioning—operating from fear, societal expectations, and the ego’s need for control.

In a society driven by productivity, consumption, and external validation, embodiment is an act of rebellion. It’s a return to ourselves as living, feeling, and connected beings. Embodiment helps us see our conditioning for what it is—a set of learned behaviors and beliefs that keep us small, disconnected, and out of alignment with our truth.

Through embodiment, we start to release the layers of “shoulds” and “musts” that shape our lives. We begin to feel into our highest essence—the part of us that is deeply connected to something greater. It’s an ongoing practice, one that allows us to stay closer to truth and further from the stories our conditioned minds have created.

And this is where the connection to business starts to become clear.

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The Role of Embodiment in Leadership and Business

Disembodied leadership has given us the world we live in today. It has created systems designed to extract, dominate, and control—whether it’s the environment, workers, or resources. Leaders who are disconnected from their truth create businesses that are disconnected from the needs of the world.

But an embodied leader is different. They are connected to their highest essence, which is also the highest expression of the collective. Their decisions aren’t driven by ego or fear but by a deep understanding of what is needed—what wants to come through them for the greater good.

Embodied leadership shows up in how leaders navigate the world and make decisions:

• Clear Alignment: An embodied leader knows their core values and makes decisions that reflect them. For example, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, embodied his values when he transferred ownership of his company to fight climate change. His decision came from a place of deep alignment with his vision for a healthier planet, even though it defied traditional business practices.

• Emotional Presence: Embodied leaders are unafraid to feel and express emotion, which fosters trust. Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s former prime minister, exemplified this during her leadership. Her emotional authenticity in times of crisis—like the Christchurch mosque shootings—allowed her to lead with compassion and strength, resonating deeply with her people.

• Integrity in Action: Embodied leadership doesn’t compromise on integrity for the sake of convenience or profit. Regenerative farmers, for example, often work in alignment with natural systems even though it requires more effort and patience. Leaders like Gabe Brown have demonstrated how commitment to sustainable farming practices can heal ecosystems and inspire others to rethink agricultural norms.

• Being in Service to the Collective: Embodied leaders understand that their businesses don’t exist in isolation. A great example of this is Café Direct, a UK-based coffee company that reinvests 50% of its profits back into farmer communities. Instead of extracting wealth from producers, they prioritize fair trade, direct partnerships, and long-term sustainability—ensuring that the people who grow the coffee are also the ones who benefit from it. Another powerful example is Tony’s Chocolonely, a brand committed to ending child labor and exploitation in the chocolate industry. Their mission isn’t just about selling ethically sourced chocolate—it’s about reshaping the entire industry. They openly share their supply chain model so other chocolate companies can follow suit, proving that business can be a force for justice rather than extraction.

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What Embodiment Looks Like as a Practice

Many embodiment practices focus on movement—on using the mind to guide the body and release emotional tensions stored within it. And while movement can be powerful, the embodiment practice of living immersion starts somewhere else: in stillness.

Living immersion invites us to surrender completely—releasing tension in the body, letting go of control over the breath, and simply meeting what arises in the present moment. In this stillness and presence, there is no escape. You face what is here, whether it’s thought, emotion, energy, or sensation. There’s no suppression, no judgment—only the devotion to staying with whatever arises.

This practice then extends beyond stillness and into every moment of life. Embodiment isn’t something you do for 20 minutes a day; it’s a way of being. It’s a commitment to meeting life as it is, not as your conditioned mind wishes it to be.

Through this devotion, we shift from being led by the mind to becoming vessels of true expression. We realign ourselves with the intelligence of life, with the natural harmony and balance that exists in all other aspects of nature.

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Embodiment and Sustainability

Our disembodiment isn’t just personal—it’s systemic. Many of the sustainability efforts we see today, while well-intentioned, are often incremental at best. Why? Because they exist within disembodied systems. We are pushing for change while still operating from fear, control, and a desire to “stay in line” with societal expectations.

True sustainability requires us to move beyond these limitations. Embodiment allows us to see clearly—to feel into what is needed and act in alignment with that truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.

This is where devotion becomes critical. Living in alignment with truth in a conditioned society is difficult. It demands courage, persistence, and a willingness to be uncompromising in your values. But over time, this practice grows. And as it grows, so does your ability to create from a place of alignment and integrity.

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The Call to Embodied Leadership

The earth, source, living intelligence—whatever you call it—is calling us back to ourselves. It’s asking us to return to our essence as expressions of the same intelligence that governs nature. To live and lead in alignment with harmony and balance, rather than domination and control.

Embodiment is the first step in this journey. It’s how we reconnect with the truth of who we are and how we become vessels for the change the world so desperately needs.

Without embodied leaders, we will continue to create from fear, ego, and disconnection. Without embodiment as leaders, no matter our best intentions, we end up settling for existing disembodied structures and systems. That is why your own embodiment is the first, and arguably the most crucial step, in building a business that aims to support a regenerative and just future. With embodiment, we can build businesses—and systems—that reflect the intelligence and beauty of life itself.