How Your Body Shapes Your Experience (And Why It Matters)

Brad Weyant

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1d • General discussion

"The shape of our body is the shape of our experience."

— Richard Strozzi Heckler

You've done the inner work.

You've identified the identity you're operating from. You've selected the one required for your moonshot.

But here's the question most people skip:

Are you embodying it?

Because insight without embodiment is just theory.

You can understand who you need to become intellectually.

But if your body is still holding the old identity, the shift won't stick.

What Does "Embodying" Mean?

Embodying is the process of integrating what you've unfolded into your physical body.

It's not enough to think differently.

You have to be different in your body, in your posture, in your breath, in your presence.

The way you hold your body shapes the way you experience the world.

And the way you experience the world shapes the actions you take (or don't take).

Here's an Example:

Imagine two versions of you walking into a high-stakes meeting.

Version 1:

Shoulders slightly collapsed
Chest constricted
Breath shallow
Jaw tight

What does this body shape evoke?

Mood: Anxiety, caution, self-protection
Tempo: Rushed or frozen
Quality of contact: Withdrawn, disconnected
Sense of possibility: Limited, defensive
Sense of dignity: Diminished, unsure

Now imagine Version 2:

Spine upright, shoulders open
Chest expansive
Breath deep and slow
Jaw relaxed

What does this body shape evoke?

Mood: Confidence, openness, presence
Tempo: Grounded, deliberate
Quality of contact: Clear, connected
Sense of possibility: Expanded, creative
Sense of dignity: Strong, inherent

Same meeting. Same strategy. Different body.

Different results.

Your Body Holds Your Identity

Here's what most people don't realize:

Your old identity is stored in your body.

The hustler who can't delegate? That's held in a body that's always tense, always doing, never resting.

The perfectionist who can't launch? That's held in a body that's constricted, holding back, afraid to release.

The people-pleaser who can't set boundaries? That's held in a body that collapses inward, shrinks, makes itself small.

You can't just think your way into a new identity.

You have to embody it.

The Six Dimensions of Embodiment

When we talk about embodiment, we're talking about six interconnected dimensions:

1. Shape

The felt shape of your body your posture, breathing, movement, tension, and ease.

Ask yourself: How am I holding my body right now? Where am I tense? Where am I collapsed? Where am I open?

2. Mood

The felt degree to which you're attuned to the world and others.

Ask yourself: What's my mood right now? Am I open or closed? Empowered or disempowered? Anxious, resigned, grateful, ambitious?

3. Tempo

The felt speed and rhythm of your responsiveness to life.

Ask yourself: Am I rushed? Frantic? Slow and contemplative? Grounded and deliberate?

4. Quality of Contact

The felt depth and clarity of your connection to yourself and others.

Ask yourself: Am I in touch with myself right now? Can I empathically attune to others? Is my contact clear or fuzzy? Open or closed?

5. Horizon of Possibilities

The felt boundaries of what you believe is possible (or impossible).

Ask yourself: Where in my life am I facing exciting new possibilities? Where am I facing resignation or impossibility?

6. Sense of Dignity

The felt sense of your inherent wholeness and value.

Ask yourself: Do I feel dignified right now? Do I feel my inherent worth or am I trying to prove it?

These Dimensions Are Co-Emergent

Here's the key insight:

These six dimensions are interconnected.

Shift one, and the others shift too.

Example:

If you shift your shape (stand up straight, open your chest, breathe deeply), your mood shifts (from anxious to grounded).

If your mood shifts, your quality of contact shifts (you're more present with yourself and others).

If your quality of contact shifts, your horizon of possibilities expands (you see new options you didn't see before).

If your sense of possibility expands, your sense of dignity strengthens (you feel capable, worthy, whole).

All from changing your body shape.

How to Practice Embodying

If you want to embody the new identity you're stepping into, here's where to start:

Step 1: Notice Your Current Embodiment

Pause right now.

Ask yourself:

Shape: How am I holding my body? Where is there tension? Where is there collapse?
Mood: What's my mood? Open or closed? Empowered or disempowered?
Tempo: Am I rushed? Sluggish? Grounded?
Quality of contact: Am I in touch with myself? With others?
Sense of possibility: What feels possible right now? What feels impossible?
Sense of dignity: Do I feel my inherent worth?

Just notice. Don't judge.

Step 2: Experiment with a New Shape

Now, shift your body: