Somatic Aliveness

For many seekers on a spiritual path, the body can become a sacred vessel, home to mystical experiences, and a container for love. Many spiritual seekers value the contribution of the body in deepening mystical practices. By noticing their bodily “felt sense” during prayer or meditation, they can embody such spiritual practices.   Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, a Sufi teacher, described spiritual life as a “love affair.” Sufis are in love with the Beloved, a Sufi term for God. This love story between the lover and the Beloved unfolds inside one’s heart, and it can touch different energy centers within the body. Rumi describes this Sufi love story as follows, “The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing How blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” The bodily “felt sense” of this love story can be experienced in many ways including a sense of aliveness and energetic vibration in