If you haven't met me yet, my website (or Instagram name) may have given it away: I am super passionate about yoga philosophy!
But I am also passionate about yoga's diverse history, and the history, philosophy and theology of other traditions - including Christianity - which we owe much of our heritage to, whether we realise it or not, and which also offer rich recourses for spiritual and embodied enquiry in the modern world.
Part of my philosophy is that Philosophy is a way of life. In other words, it is a journey of enquiry, not an endpoint or final framework.
Ultimately yoga teaches us this. Through our practice, so many of our frameworks, theories, and beliefs about ourselves, the world and others are shattered and transformed.
There is also an interesting dynamic between theory and practice.
For example, we may commit to a 'non dualist' or  Advaita Vedanta philosophical framework, believing that the world is ultimately 'one' and that yoga is about oneness, but paradoxically our very ability to 'believe' in this as an idea means that we are not experiencing the world as one; we are in fact rooted in duality, which allows a separation of self and other; idea and reality to exist; in other words, if we say we believe in oneness, it means we probably aren't experiencing it as reality... Mind boggling much?
I would say this is certainly not a bad thing though. Sometimes we need a reality check: to remind ourselves that we do live in a dual and plural world, and that is ok. We are social beings, most of whom are not enlightened (at least yet ;) )!
While we may (or may not) strive for oneness or enlightenment, it is duality that allows us to explore the world, ideas, theories, and more; and ultimately to experience beauty, revelation, joy and happiness.
There is certainly a role for individual contemplation and practice, but there is also a sense this can go too far. We are, for the most parts, not renunciates but householders. Our embodied and intellectual enquiry needs to reflect that.
So what is embodied philosophy?
Embodied philosophy is about living in the world and enquiring in to it, through duality and plurality, while acknowledging oneness as a goal, end or origin.
We may believe in or commit to a sense of oneness - whether this goes by the name of God, the Universe, Truth, or something else - and see this as existing in and through the world, but we also acknowledge our position as embodied, situated beings living in a social and natural world, comprised of duality and plurality.
Indeed, it is our very positionality as beings existing through duality (separation of self and other, subject and object) that enables us to pursue knowledge - to learn and discover. If all was immediately one, there would be nothing to learn or know, because we would already know it!
From this perspective then, embodied philosophy is about enquiring into Truth, God, Oneness - ultimately reality - through mind and body, in a community, from an acknowledgement of ourselves as embodied, social beings.
This enquiry doesn't just happen on the mat, but through engaging and coming into contact with others - other beings and other ideas!
There is also a sense of humility and everyday-ness to embodied philosophy. It is not just about pursuing lofty ideals of enlightenment (which can often cause separation, feelings of superiority and spiritual bypassing) but exploring question of how we live life in community, with others, as social beings; addressing the paradoxes that we are presented with as beings who are both spiritual and deeply human: social, animal, and natural.
Most importantly, embodied philosophy is about community. Too often, yoga becomes an individualistic pursuit, mimicking late modern capitalistic neoliberal values of hyper-individualism. Embodied philosophy seeks to reclaim intellectual and embodied practice as something done in community with others, as opposed to alone, separated from others. It is in community we find the deepest value and joy.
To my mind, we really need more spaces in the world where we can discuss, reflect and enquire more deeply into our frameworks, beliefs, and philosophies, through body and mind, in community with others.
And so I am delighted to be providing a space for this enquiry with my new closed Facebook group, Embodied Philosophy for Yoga Teachers and Embodiment Enthusiasts - A Discussion Group which you can join here for free.
This group is a great place to explore ideas, ask questions, and join Zoom discussion groups that I will be running. You can sign up for the first Zoom discussion groups here - https://rb.gy/r5mh9b
I look forward to seeing you soon! Floss x
