My body is an instrument, both scientific and musical. I use it to discover the world through the senses. Meanwhile, it vibrates with its own frequencies, for no other purpose but joy and sensuous pleasure. “Body consciousness” needs what Wikipedia calls “disambiguation”. In the media, which is to say in the lowest common denominator of consciousness, it means such things as “Does my bum look big in this?”; which is not body-consciousness at all but a variety of self-consciousness.
One of the beauties of being a blogger on Blogger* (Google’s proprietary product) is setting out your Profile; not so much to advertise your interests, favourite films and so on, but to click each one and discover who else shares those interests. When I put in “body consciousness” as one of mine, I find that there are only three of us. One has no posts published, one has a single post only. As for me, I have not used the actual term till now, but body consciousness is the springboard for most of my writing here.
A Florida academic Richard Shusterman has written a book Body Consciousness (2008: Cambridge UP). Though couched in the professorial style, it seems to chime with what I want to say here. He has his own Web presence and there is also a YouTube of his lecture in Cracow. He coins the word “somaesthetics”. But let me first follow my own trail, not his.
In the days of my chronic illness, I consulted many practitioners outside the medical orthodoxy. A shiatsu specialist recommended I tread grass barefoot, to nurture my body’s connection to the All. A crystal therapist suggested I practise being a tree: my roots sinking deep in the moist nutritious soil; my leaves exposing themselves to the sky, delighting in all weathers, breathing the atmosphere. The exercises had scant effect on my illness, but demonstrated an intuition common to both therapists—that my body-consciousness needed unblocking. Looking back, I wonder if the blockage was actually a cause of the illness—or merely an effect.
What I have to say is conventionally left unspoken: the sensuous delight in one’s own body, experienced from the inside, for example in movement—dancing and sport perhaps, though I rarely do either. It’s in walking that I touch the sky and am most aware of dwelling in Heaven; that, and working with my hands. To body-consciousness, sitting at the computer is an affront, an abomination.
So I find myself without words to express this thing, even though the experience must be universal. To feel one’s own body, the act of proprioception is only part of it. To praise the feeling within one’s body is nothing more or less than to praise God and give thanks for his beneficence; at any rate to a unbeliever like me.
Later: it dawns on me that what I really wanted to talk about might better be described as sensuousness. I’ll add that to my Blogger profile, under “interests”.
Later still: I’m the only person on Blogger who admits to an interest in sensuousness. Perhaps its delicate fronds have been choked by the vigorous, factory-farmed plantations of pornography.
Even later: I tentatively put “sensuality” in my profile under “interests”. Hm, most of the others understand it a little differently!
* The piece was written before transfer to WordPress
a wayfarer’s notes 
So, now we need many definitions of sensuousness. I am sure it has lost its way in a heap of sexual connotations. However that said, our own sexuality is sensuous.
Putting on socks in the morning enables you to become aware of the sensuality of your feet and toes. They do work hard and deserve a little pat every now and then.
This is a nice post, one where you did keep to your own pathways and one that evoked thought – another sense…..good.
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Sensuality is understood in a very restricted sense by most bloggers that I checked out. Of course I don't exclude sexuality from body consciousness, but . . .
Anyhow I am glad it evoked something good to you.
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You hit the right note Vincent, too many in this world are disconnected from the power of their bodies. Just as sensuousness becomes misinterpreted as sexual. And sexual/erotic has instant and superficial connotations.
The body, to me, is an instrument to get to a higher power/force. I've witnessed it in dance, and I've felt it myself in moments of transit, dance and intimacy.
It really is unfortunate that most people do not seem to be connected to the world. Sensuality has such power to me. I seek ways to inspire others.
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Yes, let us seek ways to inspire others! There are many teachers, no doubt, with exercises like walking barefoot or pretending to be a tree; but I don't think it is possible to be a real teacher without a real-life student; and even then I don't believe it is possible.
To inspire is different, for we might do that without trying and without knowing; just through authenticity.
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I believe that being reconnected to the power of their bodies, to adapt your phrase, many of this world's ills and uglinesses will evaporate like dew in sunshine. Except that dew is beautiful. Never mind I don't even want to accuse anyone of ugly behaviour. But it seems to me that it is in the power of the body to know how to eat, how to behave, how to treat every part of the creation (including ourselves), how to use the erotic impulse too.
For what are lust, gluttony and thieving but an attempt to regain our body's instinct to possess all the beauty in this world, without knowing the means of gracefulness that lies in a sensuous relationship with All?
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For now, we can just live our lives with presence and share our experiences with others. Perhaps a better way of inspiring will come along, but I do believe in letting things happen naturally.
Definitely hear your point of wanting to load to excess the body with beauty. Where is the grace in that though? Where is the appreciation when you have so much, too much?
Food for thought.
Peace
Stefan
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The point you definitely heard wasn't the point I was making, which doesn't of course invalidate what you heard. What I wanted to say should have been expressed at greater length and clarity.
I meant to say that three of the deadly sins – lust, gluttony and envy – are prevalent in Western society as an attempt to compensate for the self-starvation imposed by dysfunctional body-consciousness.
Letting things happen naturally, yes!
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My body is an instrument, both scientific and musical.
Your body is a pickup truck designed to pack your balls and pecker around with so you can pick up chicks.
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Yo. The Roman church denies this, takes no responsibility for human desires. Big load of crap.
Sensuality; some time ago had the opportunity to play with clay. let my fingers interact with elemental forms. There is no “mystery”; only “power trips”. the desperate need to keep the Roman Empire intact.
Read “Pontiff” by
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