What do you seek as you walk though life? Where are you going? Why is it you want to go that way?
Along the way, how do you want to feel?
What do you wish to call in, so that you can feel it as you otherwise know it?
What do you wish to achieve so that you are fulfilled?

And, more than anything, how do you want to know yourself as part of a greater whole? How do you want to know yourself in connection to your fellow humanity? How do you want to know yourself in connection to all of life on this Earth?

How do you want to be in service to that which is greater than yourself? At the same time, how can you be in service to self (because, after all, aren’t you a part of the whole, and don’t you matter, too?).

These are the sorts of questions that can help us point to what spirituality is, and more importantly, to help us each cultivate a spirituality that aligns with who we are. Uniquely, yes, but also collectively, as we each and all come to know ourselves for the spiritual, and also embodied beings that we are:

Here to shine our own light as we heal what is ready to be healed, and as we otherwise step into the ways of being that will allow for our true freedom of expression to shine through.

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Purpose

This article exists to serve two purposes: The first is to once again lay down the foundation for The Embodied Path, which is my own attempt at a framework that supports a practice-based modern spirituality in service to the student, and to Earth as a whole. The second is to formally introduce the 11 embodiment practices that will serve as the foundation of the spiritual structure for the student & practitioner.

1. The first purpose of this post is to outline, and begin to speak to, the spirituality that I practice and teach today: A practice that I have named “The Embodied Path” in an attempt to bridge a well-needed gap between dis-embodied spiritual teachings and reality that unfolds in truth.

As a yoga and meditation teacher, spiritual guide, formally trained Priestess, and women’s circle facilitator, I have had the honor to not only teach the practices and principles that have been taught to me, but to (perhaps much more importantly) explore my own understanding of spirituality: cultivating a deeply rooted system that not only benefits my own Self, but also benefits those who work with me; and, that benefits the whole of life on Planet Earth.

Working collectively, as we work within our Selves, growing that felt and known sense of connection to the world that we are fully interwoven with.

At least, this is the idea, and it is an idea that I get to put into practice each time I do, indeed, practice. Likewise, it is an idea that gets to be put into action and validated (or not) each time one of my students decides, as well, to be in practice: to move beyond the realm of theory and to engage in life as it unfolds moment by moment:

• Practicing their own sense of grounding and meaningful connection to body, life, land, Earth, and other beings
• Practicing their own sense of centering and alignment, coming in connection with all that they are, sensing Self within the greater whole that we are all part of
• Practice their own sense of discernment, taking the teachings that I offer and making meaning out of them through lived experience (instead of taking them at face value, sequestering them in their heads, and going about life in the same old way without ever finding out for themselves what is real, meaningful, true, and wise)

Most significantly of all, it is an idea that gets to be put into practice and shared with one another when we meet in community – whether that be in our formal Circles, or whether that be in comments on posts, email exchanges or any other form of communication. The bottom line: when we do choose to practice, and to share the practice that unfolds with one another, what we experience is a deepening spirituality and practice that truly transforms life (and this world) for the better.

The Embodied Path.

To be honest, the words that we use to label it don’t matter so much. What does matter is the heart, as well as the deep roots that we are each and all here to cultivate. Cultivating deep roots, so that we may each ground ourselves holistically into reality – as is known through self, and, as is learned through connection to that which expands beyond self.

• In this way, may we heal the deep wounds that continue to perpetuate harm placed on Self and one another and on this Earth.
• In this way, may we call in the light (through joy, through fulfillment, through connection, through healing, through love) that is here to be embodied; that is here to be lived as it is known.

2. The second purpose of today’s post is to introduce you to “The 11 Embodiment Practices that Form the Foundation of Your Healing and Awakening.”

In my opinion, a spiritual path is nothing if it isn’t centered on practice. The fact of the matter is, words (even if brought to you by well-intentioned teachers) have very little benefit when compared to the experience that is action: a practice of what we are taught, done over and over again as life unfolds with all its challenges and opportunities. We are here on this planet to experience life – not to listen to the words of others as we parrot their words and continue to behave in the same outdated ways. We are here to heal, just as we are here to expand and grow (and, to let parts of ourselves die away).

This is done through the playground that is life.
This is done, as well, through intentional practice of the spiritual teachings that we find.
Best of all, this is done when our spiritual practices move into our daily lives, making each moment become more and more intentional and skillful.

I hope I have made this point clear. We are not here just to share words. We are here to share words that are then taken into practice so that they can be embodied in living tissue; and, in experience. From here, we learn as we cultivate discernment, and as we heal and shift and grow and dissolve away parts of Self that no longer need to exist.

Words are powerful, and this power is best brought to the world in a way that doesn’t remain locked in words, but is moved into bodily experience. Get out of your head. Practice. Be actively engaged in life. Then, when you are ready, return to the page for more, whether that is sharing your own voice or reading the voices of others.

In this way, community is nurtured. The power of Sangha comes back into this world and makes us all wiser.

With this being established, let us turn our attention to practice.

Introducing the 11 Practices

In the summer of 2025, I was guided to write down a list of practices that I find create most value for the modern individual. This list is not fully comprehensive – others do exist! Still, these practices do consist of a wide range of diversity, offering the practitioner a holistic spirituality. With these practices, it is my hope and intention that you will be able to find a series of practices that serve you at this point in your spiritual journey. Please know that this will not be done by embracing all 11 practices and overfilling your life with even more “need-to-do’s” – but instead, will happen as you try these practices out, embracing the few that serve you here and now, and setting aside the others for the day that you may be ready for them.

As I will continue to state over and over again, The Embodied Path is not a linear one: there is no clear-cut, optimized formula for taking you step-wise through one practice after the next. Rather, The Embodied Path is about opening up to the practices that are supportive for you, here and now, letting go of all else as you heal, awaken, and otherwise transform into your wisest, most authentic self.

Please understand, there is much logic and intention that goes into creating a spirituality in this way. It comes from years of being trained in what we can speak to as “masculine” frameworks, coming to learn their failures because of their rigidity and simplicity (note that by “masculine” I here speak to those of quality that that are linear, offering step-wise practices that build on one another and offer the practitioner a guaranteed result when completed). Understand that, while these framework can be useful, they are often too rigid, and they often result in failure because they over-simplify the true complexities of the body and of life. In their place, I offer a more “feminine” approach: one that focuses on our individuality and complexity, guiding you (the practitioner) to understand the dynamics of life (fluidity, cyclical nature, forward & back and up & down motion of life).

Please understand, the trade-off here is that you are asked to play a more active role in your spirituality and life. No longer can I take your hand and guide you step-by-step through each practice in a way that you can let go completely and trust that I know everything that is best for you. In reality, I don’t know everything that is best for you. No one can do this! Only you can, and only you can do it in each moment given the information you have at the time.

This being said, recognize that I do come to you with an enormous wealth of information – that which I am continuously questioning as I put it to the test (and, as my students do the same). Never am I reaching towards something that is perfect and optimized for all; always am I reaching towards what is best for each individual, offering the best information I have at each moment in time.

This being said, recognize that if you are someone that wants all the answers handed to them so that they don’t have to actively participate in decision-making, then this framework is not for you. Go elsewhere, and trust that whoever’s hands you fall into are indeed looking out for your best interest and happen to have the exact information that you need. However, before you go, please heed my warning: that it is this very mindset that I feel very driven to dissolve, for it is one that puts power in the hands of the few as humans become sheep, herded one way then another.

I do not want to treat you like a sheep, nor do I wish to act as your guru giving promises of all you need to alleviate yourself of problems and rest eternally in a state of peace and bliss. Rather, I ask that you allow me to be your guide, offering you guidance towards practices that have helped myself, and that are known to have helped many others. As your guide, it is my intention to support your spiritual healing and growth, opening doors to practices that may shape you in a way that is aligned for you. As your guide, it is also my intention to help steer you away from the practices that are not aligned for you in this moment (not because they are bad practices, but because you are not in a place of resonance with them).

If you’d like, you can jump down to the practices and get started right way. Although, if you have a few extra minutes to spare, I think it worth it to understand more about me and how The Embodied Path has been created.

This is important because, for one, I never thought I would call myself a spiritual teacher.

Yoga teacher, no way! Let alone a Modern-Day Priestess.

In truth, it was the shiny science titles that I sought out as I moved forward on the path laid down before me. That PhD in neuroscience sure sounded good. The shiny publications on PubMed in Cell, or in Neuron, sounded like the kind of light I needed in my life.

But my heart and soul had a different plan. It would just take some time to get that strong-willed head of mine on board.

I was not born onto any sort of wholesome spiritual path. In truth, as a modern, western, white millennial, I was first taught to view life through the worldview that has to do with science and technology. In the patriarchal worldview I was taught, it is our minds that serve the highest path, and all else is just a distraction that keeps our ingenuity from driving us into the world that we could be living.

But how does mind, separate from heart, and uprooted from Earth, know where it ought to be going? How does mind discern that which is worthy of learning, and of creating, if it does not exist in the wholesome connection to all that is?

It doesn’t, and this is a problem that I learned firsthand as I pursued the path of a scientist and engineer. This happened personally, as I experienced firsthand what it is like to live as a being disconnected from feeling, from heart, from soul. This also happened as I witnessed collectively a world that burns when those with power live the same way.

At some point, I left the world of science and engineering. My heart would not let myself become another techie profiting off of the problems of humanity while doing nothing to solve the root of what is wrong here. More than this, my heart would not let me devote my life to “innovating” for the sake of my own, egoic gain.

No. I needed to know true fulfillment. This could happen by helping our world to resolve ourselves of the fundamental problems at play.

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When it comes to spirituality, modern day humanity is facing two challenges that keep us removed from that grounded, wholesome, aligned, and light-filled existence that our world is ready for.

The first, being the one that most of you reading this page are probably well aware of, is the clinging to old, outdated, overly patriarchal worldviews that preach fear and separation, hierarchy, and other traits that largely aim to control instead of liberate.

As for those modern spiritual seekers who have broken free from the bonds of over-controlling, or otherwise toxic religions, we face a new problem: that of discerning our way into a spirituality that is truly grounded, wholesome, and aligned in a way that it brings the peace, the joy, the happiness, and all those good feeling experiences that we each and all deserve to have during our time here on Planet Earth:

• The ability to feel good in our bodies, experiencing joy and happiness, fulfillment, all-the-while free of suffering that holds us down
• The ability to express ourselves freely, creating and otherwise experiencing life in a way that fills us up
• Healing what is ready to be healed
• Shining our light in the directions we’d best be going

The answer, as I see it, lives in the realm of embodiment, because this is the only space in which we can be rooted, grounded within our own discerning selves as we know ourselves ever-more-fully as interconnected with the world around us.

• Knowing self, not in a self-centered, egoic way, but in a wholesome, truth-centered, loving way.
• Knowing self as just one part of a much, much greater whole; including the whole of Earth and all of life that exists here, as well as all that expands beyond it.

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11 Powerful Spiritual Practices to Build Your Own Sacred Daily Routine

The following 11 practices are here as an offering to you to try out.

They are NOT here as guaranteed tools to achieve the outcome you want or think you need. Instead, they are here as powerful guides to direct you into what it is, in truth, you are ready for.

Perhaps that is peace. Perhaps that is clarity. Perhaps that is wisdom and discernment. Perhaps that is alleviation of suffering.

Alternatively, this might be a bit of a shaking, or a stirring as you open your internal eye to that which you need to know. Just being honest here. A true spiritual path is not necessarily a direct line to eternal peace and bliss. Sometimes, an unravelling, or a descent must occur so that we can open up to how deeply misaligned us modern human beings actually are.

The following 11 practices are here to serve you, given where you are at in this moment. They are not here as some idealized path of perfection to guaranteed eternal bliss.

They are here to meet you in your truth, given your reality. As they do, they are here to heal, and to otherwise guide you in the direction that best serves your soulful path in this life.

Disclaimer 1: This is a blog post. I am not working 1:1 with you and, therefore, I am not here to help you directly navigate the obstacles that will arise for you. Therefore, if you choose to read and practice, you are at your own discernment. If you do wish to have direct support and guidance from myself so that I can help you navigate the obstacles that will arise, you can book a call here.

Disclaimer 2 (Trauma disclaimer): As I learned first hand, trauma and spiritual practice is a tricky space to navigate. If you find that practices are serving as triggers and dragging you into a trauma state, then I highly recommend direct, 1:1 guidance. I offer free calls to have a conversation centered on this. You can chat with me by setting up a call here. This space is tricky, but I have been there, personally, and with the help of my own teachers, a wealth of tools, and my own fierce devotion to moving through it all, I moved past much of the horror I once knew too well.

How this works:

The following practices are here on offer for you to practice, at your own discernment. Try them.

• If one creates a positive result, that’s amazing! Continue to practice it.
• If one seems trivial, or boring, then go deeper with it.
• If one creates a negative result, question in. Are you practicing it in a way that is unskillful? Or, maybe the whole of the practice just is not aligned for you at this time. Move past it and try something different.

The point here is not to perfect all practices. The point here is to try practices that might help you, and to cultivate your own discernment as to whether or not they do.

As you try them out, you heal, you learn, and you transform.

As you try them out, you are walking a spiritual path: one that is grounded in your own body, your own experience, and your own discernment.

I cannot think of something more powerful to give you, which is why I write this for you: so that you can, indeed, become more powerful in a way that serves:

• that serves you
• that serves this world

I cannot think of something more powerful to hand you. Use these well.

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One more note before jumping into the practices: The following offers you a brief glimpse into each practice. They are listed out so that you get a full picture of what is on offer (and perhaps receive some little nudges about where to go from here).

Please know that the expanded form of each practice is being created in the year 2026. Therefore, if you are reading this post in the present, know that some of the posts may include links to dive into deeper depths, but not all of them will until the series is completed in 2027.

The 11 Embodiment Practices that Form the Foundation of Your Healing and Awakening

Practice 1: Give yourself a few moments each day to sit in stillness.

Seek out a quiet space, and let go of any state of “doing.” Come into physical stillness. Turn your gaze inward. Do your best to let the noise of the world fall away.

Cease all doing, and become witness to reality as it is unfolding.

As you settle into physical stillness, you will notice that your internal world comes to life. You will notice that your chest continues to expand and contract as you breathe. You will notice your heart continues to beat. You may be asking yourself to be still, but the world is anything but still.

Now, you are ready for the real practice.

Of course, the obvious question is what one is to do while in a state of stillness! The answer, once again, is to simply be in a state of noticing. You might notice the pattern of your breath. You might notice the track of your thoughts. You might notice the sounds in the room, or the vibrations in your heart. The fact is, there are an endless number of things to notice, so in reality, we find that while in stillness, there are endless ways to be occupied!

Alternative practice for those who cannot find full stillness: Slow down. Walk a little slower. Move a little slower. Wash the dishes a little slower. What happens in your thoughts, feeling, emotions, sensations as you ask yourself to slow down?

Read the full Stillness Practice Post HERE

Practice 2: Move your body every day.

As embodied beings, movement is a god-given right, a great joy, and an essential part of one’s mental and physical health. The fact is simple: we must move to feel alive and to keep energy flowing through the whole of who we are!

Movement is a foundation for physical, mental, emotional, and all other forms of health-and well-being. We have to move our physical bodies just as we have to move other forms of energy through our bodies (such as emotion).

This practice stems from the fact that we are not stagnant beings. In truth, we are in constant flux: from each breath we take, to each meal we consume, to each thought/belief we take in. Life is change. And you are motion. Most unfortunately, our modern world does not prioritize your ability to move freely: to exercise, to dance, or to otherwise move energy physically, emotionally. But this practice is essential.

It does not matter so much how you move, just as long as you do move, and you do so in a way that feels good to you! If your movement practice brings you joy, and/or peace, and/or reward, even better. Still, bottom line: seek movement every day.

Practice 3: Practice Focused Consciousness

Your ability to focus your attention (focused consciousness) on a single task is essential for making your way through life. Unfortunately, our modern world is increasingly pushing us to have our attention taken away in all different directions. The sad truth is, when we lose the ability to control our attention, we become at mercy to those who have engineered their worlds (using our attention and energy for their gain, not our own).

The fact of the matter is simple: one must regain some level of control of their attention, and this can be done through the following:

Practice focusing your consciousness on a single point/task. There are endless options for this: breath, mantras, objects, a candle, etc. You can also simply focus on stillness, and the space between thoughts. The point is, pick something – one thing – and set a firm time that you will spend in focused concentration on that object. You might begin with 5 minutes, then build up over time until 30 minutes. The practice becomes maintaining your focus on the object you’ve chosen. Maintain it here. When your attention falters (which it inevitably will) bring it back to the object of meditation.

Practice 4: Practice Expanded Consciousness

Focused attention is important, but it is not everything and can actually become unskillful without its other half. In fact, expanded awareness is an important quality because it allows the individual to move through life “in the know” of what, in truth, is unfolding.

Practice expanding your awareness beyond your own self and the routine people/happenings in your own life. Expand your consciousness outward, letting it fall upon the objects, the living beings, the sounds, and all else that is unfolding beyond self and your limited world. Rest your consciousness here. Allow the world around you to be brought into your field. Notice what is here. Do not pull it in, and do not let yourself get pulled out into it. Simply, expand your consciousness, let it rest in the spaces outside of self, and be present to what is unfolding, just as you did in your stillness practice.

Practice 5: Spend time feeling into your whole body

Call in stillness in your body as you seek quiet and clarity in your head is lovely. But don’t just spend time in your head. Make sure to find time to be present with your whole body:

• your heart
• your limbs
• your breath
• your abdomen
• your womb
• your root

Practice 6: Befriend your breath

Your breath is your greatest guide and companion inward, in connection to self. Through breath, you can guide your attention. Through breath you can, in part, come to control your nervous systems. Breath helps us focus. Breath helps us shed the chaos of our minds and bodies. There are endless practices to help you do this. Try many of them out, and select 1 or 2 or 3 to do regularly. Some will be better than others for you. Some will meet your needs, and work with your unique wiring. Others will not. Be ready to let go of any breath practices that do not truly serve you.

Practice 7: Practice Non-Attachment

Take time away from the people/things/experiences that you cling to most. Let yourself be in the discomfort that arises. Watch your thoughts as it unfolds. It might feel like you are losing the thing that matters most, but in fact, you will gain what matters most.

Please know that non-attachment is not the same as relinquishing all that matters to you. Instead, practicing non-attachment is about cultivating awareness to how clinging is unskillful. By practicing non-attachment, you learn what actually matters to you, and how you can pursue desire with skill.

To read further, consider my post:

The peculiar power of non-attachment in achieving BIG goals

Read full story

Practice 8: Practice Connection with Spirit

I recognize that this one may be difficult to open to, especially for those accustomed to a modern spirituality which, ironically, has divorced itself from spirit. But the truth is, spirituality is, in one important sense, about connection to spirit. If this rubs you the wrong way, then perhaps you begin with the following:

Open to connection to the sky, the sun, the moon. Simply, open your consciousness to this space. Invite in connection as you hold yourself in light and love.

You may also try this with a tree, or a plant.

With time, you may find yourself opening to more spirit that is here to help you: to guide you and to heal you.

Practice 9: Eat good food. Do it, consciously

Remember, you are what you eat. Your physicality, which includes the basis for your energy, is literally what you consume.

Make eating a mindfulness practice. Slow down. Bring conscious awareness to how you prepare food, how you eat food, and how you feel afterwards.

This is not about dieting nor eating in an ideal way.

As with everything in spirituality, it begins with awareness and conscious connection. From this space, discernment is cultivated about what is helpful and what is hurtful.

Practice 10: Spend large amounts of time in nature

Get out of your head. Disconnect from all tech. Ideally, go move your body in nature. Then, find time in stillness.

While you are out there, bring your full awareness to the present moment. Call upon all of your senses. Feel the wind on your skin as you hear it rustle the trees. Take in all the sounds around you. Touch the dirt, as well as rocks and trees.

Feel the Earth beneath you. Sense that dirt, rock, root, and soil as it holds you.

Open. Invite in that which is here to help nourish you.

Give back. Let your heart flow freely with gratitude for all that nature brings.

Practice 11: Spend time in your heart

Do this while sitting in stillness. Do this while moving. Do this while out in nature.

Keep it simple. Bring your conscious attention fully to your heart space. With time, go deeper and deeper inward.

Open to the wisdom that arises simply by placing your attention here.

The art of practice

As spoken to, there are linear, prescribed paths that one may follow in life. For example, first do practice 1, then 2, then 3, etc. I for one do not support this way of practicing, because I realize that life is not linear.

Yes, life has some linear qualities to it. But it also has cyclical patterns. It also has random and chaotic patters. This is why I offer a platter of practices. Try one out. If it brings you the experience you are seeking, then beautiful! Do it again. If it does not give you the experience you are seeking, then don’t do it!

As you practice, you will cultivate discernment:

• yes, this is for me
• no, this is not for me

Bonus points here: Discernment happens to be one of the most important skills that we are developing here, so know that as you practice, you are working on multiple levels:

• Receiving the gift of the practice, itself
• Cultivating discernment for your own path
• Cultivating attention and discipline, including the ability to stick with the practices that are serving you
• Cultivating the ability to let go of what is not yours (even if it does serve someone else)
• etc., etc.

The main point is, that when we hold devotion to our spiritual path, the practices that we need will show up for you. And, if we actually get ourselves to practice (which is, really, the toughest part of it all), then we get to heal as we grow and learn and otherwise transform.

Sound beautiful? Try it out, and leave a comment to let us all know what practices are serving you.

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A few last notes on this piece (just to be thorough)

1. This blog post is an updated version of the one I released on my We Are The Forest Substack back in October 2025. It is roughly the same post, with updates – posted here on our organized website to be a tool for you as you walk along The Embodied Path.
2. This blog is connected to a series of practice-centered blog posts and podcast episodes. At this time, the following is released (and might be a good next place for you to go to!)

A Practice In Physical Stillness by Katie Hemphill

Your Gateway to Inner Peace, Clarity, and PresenceRead on Substack

https://katiehemphill.substack.com/p/a-practice-in-physical-stillness?r=1me355