Willa Blythe Baker
on the Wisdom of the Body
and Somatic Meditation
Listen:
Show Notes:
In this episode, Willa Blythe Baker joins Kate and Alex to discuss the experiential divide between mind and body that serves as a source of suffering. She describes the difference between the conceptual and feeling body and explains four ways that the body can be a source of wisdom. Listen in for Willa's insight on bringing together body, mind, and breath and stay tuned until the end to hear Willa guide a grounding meditation practice.
Willa Blythe Baker PhD is an author, translator and authorized teacher (lama) in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is the founder of Natural Dharma Fellowship and its retreat center Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH and has been on faculty at Harvard Divinity School, the Mind and Life Institute, Kripalu Center, Omega Institute, SanghaLive and One Earth Sangha. Her books include The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom, Everyday Dharma, and The Arts of Contemplative Care.
Key Takeaways:
- How the experiential divide between mind and body serves as the source of suffering
- Willa’s distinction between the conceptual body and the feeling body
- Why it’s a mistake to think that the body is separate from and controlled by the mind
- How the body functions as a source of wisdom when we’re willing to listen
- The four qualities that make the body a teacher (present, honest, grounded and non-conceptual)
- Willa’s description of the layers of embodiment: earth, subtle, awareness and integration
- Why the translation of sati as mindfulness can be confusing
- What it feels like to work through Willa’s simple guided practice of Finding Ground
Connect with Willa:
Resources:
- The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom by Willa Blythe Baker
- Everyday Dharma: Seven Weeks to Finding the Buddha in You by Lama Willa Miller
- The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work edited by Cheryl A. Giles and Willa B. Miller
- Zen Master Dogen on the Oneness of Body and Mind
- Satipatthana Sutta
- Beyond a Year in Space
- The Overview Effect
- Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment and Waking Up in This Life by Christine Caldwell
Recent Past Episodes:
Hosts:
Katherine King, PsyD
Katherine King, PsyD is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at William James College. She was trained in evidence-based treatments within the Veterans’ Administration and has a private practice specializing in geropsychology. She is also a member of the Boston Shambhala Center Board of Directors, a vajrayana student of Buddhism, and has practiced meditation for over 20 years. Learn more about Kate at www.drkateking.com.
Alex Gokce, MSW
Alex Gokce, MSW has a master’s degree in social work from Salem State University and an undergraduate degree in Comparative Government from Harvard University. He has led psychotherapy groups on topics including mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mind-body approaches to pain management. He has co-led programs at the Boston Shambhala Center on the topics of trauma and self-compassion. His personal and professional interests center around the individual, societal and intergenerational impacts of trauma, as well as the sociocultural roots of interpersonal harm.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information shared in this podcast is strictly for educational purposes only, and is not intended as psychological treatment or consultation of any kind.
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