The body can be a paradox: it is both known and recognized as a very real entity in our lives, and yet, when we explore what it means and represents to us, definitions elude us or feel incomplete. On a conceptual level, the body has often been seen as a reflection of the beliefs and values of the different cultures, traditions, political systems, professional spheres, and so on in which they exist. Historically, the body was often relegated to the status of “other:” an entity to be conquered, denied, or ignored in the effort to achieve intellectual achievement or spiritual transcendence. In other viewpoints, the body was considered a symbol and metaphor for how we perceive the world and the supernatural, by nature a cultural artifact of its own. In Indigenous worldviews, the body has been considered part of a holistic relationship that exists between the mind, heart, and spirit, with all four intrinsically connected to the larger collective “bodies” of our natural environment/Mother Earth, ancestors, and community.

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) describes Body Psychotherapy in the following way:

“Body Psychotherapy is a distinct branch of the main body of psychotherapy with a long history and a large body of knowledge based upon a sound theoretical position. At the same time, it involves a different and explicit theory of mind-body functioning that takes into account the complexity of the intersections of and interactions between the body and the mind, with the common underlying assumption being that a functional unity exists between mind and body. The body does not merely mean the “soma,” which is separate from the mind, the “psyche.” Although many other approaches in psychotherapy touch on this issue, Body Psychotherapy considers this principle to be fundamental.

Body Psychotherapy involves a developmental model, theory of personality, hypotheses about the origins of psychological disturbances and alterations, as well as a rich variety of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques used within the framework of the therapeutic relationship. Many different and sometimes quite separate approaches are found within Body Psychotherapy, as there are in the other main branches of psychotherapy. Body Psychotherapy is also a science, as well as an art, having developed over the last seventy-five years from the results of research in biology, anthropology, proxemics, ethology, neurophysiology, developmental psychology, neonatology, perinatal studies, and many more disciplines.”

For more information about Body Psychotherapy and related modalities of Somatic Counseling and Psychology, you may visit the website for the USABP, as well as explore the resources of the European Association of Body Psychotherapy and the publications of both organizations for current research and topics in Body Psychotherapy today.

Anthropologist Thomas Csordas describes cultural embodiment as a means of gaining information about the world and the people within it through perception and attention facilitated by the body.  Through somatic awareness, Csordas believes an individual perceives and interacts not only with their physical environment, but also with their cultural environment.  

During my years as a therapist and trainer, I came to notice that there were three areas within somatic awareness that could “switch on” our sense of cultural embodiment: social awareness, emotional awareness, and environmental awareness. Each one speaks to one aspect of how we notice and develop our own knowing of cultural embodiment, but they are by nature interrelated and interdependent and often inform each other. When brought together, these three types of awareness often served as entry points for individuals to recognize and understand their own sense of cultural embodiment through their body’s innate knowledge and sensory awareness.

Culture is something that for many people can feel familiar and known, yet difficult to describe. Much like the air we breathe, it surrounds us but is, in many ways, invisible. We enter into our cultures from the moment of our birth, and throughout our lives they continue to shape how we relate to our environments, our relationships, and, most importantly, to ourselves. I consider culture as the fertile ground where we plant the seeds of our developing identity and sense of belonging: a place where we seek to find meaning and context about our place in the world; where we find the edge of what it means to be an individual versus part of a group; and hopefully, a place where we can find points of connection and empathy with others through the acknowledgment and curiosity of our very differences.

Code-switching is a skill that facilitates transitions as our cultural identities shift internally, as well as when we shift between physical cultural environments.  Most times we can see the switch happening through a change in language, or behavior.  But what about the internal experience of code-switching:  the nonverbal signals we receive, the way our movements change, our sense of personal space - even the thoughts and emotions that go along with code-switching?  What do our bodies know before our minds (and our actions) make that transition from one culture to another? 

Embodied Code-Switching® offers practitioners the opportunity to explore a deeper way to code-switch by integrating somatic awareness into the experience of moving between cultures and identities.  Using tools such as the Sensation-Interpretation-Action (SAI) Loop and the Identity Expression Infinity Loop, together with cultural embodiment exercises and experientials, multicultural individuals can discover their own signals and sensations of code-switching and how to support resiliency in their identities. 

This work offers the potential for multicultural people to interact with their environments on not only an inter-personal level by responding to social cues and symbols, but also on an intrapersonal level through body sensation and mindful observation.  By doing so, those who hold multiple identities and move in between various cultural groups can begin to build a cultural “home” through their sense of self, while simultaneously increasing their range of somatic and behavioral choices in different environments. 

I have come to consider identity through four main lenses: systemic, cultural, somatic, and contemplative. These lenses stem from four main fields of education and practice that have informed me over the years: social justice, intercultural communication, somatic counseling, and contemplative practice. The social justice perspective has taught me to hold the roles of power, oppression, and privilege in every consideration of how my identities relate to others, and how all of us have been formed by the systems around us. The field of intercultural communication has given me an understanding of how my identities may be different in how they express and communicate, recognizing culture as a very real filter through which each interacts with the world. Somatic counseling has given me a language to understand the embodiment of my identities and the ability to hear their messages and wisdom. Lastly, contemplative practice, in the many forms that I have found it, has provided me with a continual invitation to be in the present moment and anchor myself in how my identities are actually showing up in that moment. Each of these areas has challenged me to hold my own personal categories of identity both firmly and loosely, and continually relate them to the various political and cultural contexts in which I have found myself.

What does it mean to be multicultural?  For some, it describes two or more cultural identities inherited by birth or created by life events.  For others, it can be a lived experience as global nomads or Third Culture Kids.  A common feeling is that one’s sense of self is not tied to one group or one language, with various identities moving in between spaces and places.  As a result, many multicultural people find themselves constantly aware of the interplay of self, other, and environment. 

Although the term multicultural identity may be a simpler answer to these questions, it by no means offers an easier definition. Being multicultural is, by nature, beyond definition. It is a “yes,” and it is a “no.” It is “now,” and it is “then.” It is metaphor and symbol, embodiment and potential. But most importantly, it is true and real. And it is an identity that holds polarity and integration in constant relationship. For this reason, being multicultural offers a pathway to bridge difference in a way that being monocultural cannot: when the challenges of multicultural identity are shifted towards strengths, the multicultural person gains important skills that not only benefit themselves, but their families and communities, and I would offer, the world as well.

One example of multicultural identity can be found in individuals who identify with more than one racial or ethnic identity, which represent one of the fastest growing populations in the United States today.  According to the United States Census, the number of people who identified with more than one race grew from 6.8 million in the year 2000 to 9.0 million people in 2010.  These numbers reflected a growth rate of 32% in this population overall (versus a 9.2% growth rate of those individuals choosing a single race), with a growth rate of 50% or more in some multiple race groups. 

Multiculturalism is both a concept and an ideology. As a concept, it expands the definition of diversity beyond the socio-political considerations of race, nationality, and ethnicity to include additional cultural affiliations such as socio-economic status, gender, sexual identity, religion, geographic area, ability, and age. It is also considered an ideology that can be found in certain national policies which support cultural pluralism within societies, which is based upon three main principles: the recognition of a diverse population; the attitude of acceptance and validation of the cultures represented by these populations; and the creation of specific policies that protect and support each and all of these groups.

The concept multiculturalism also attracts criticism. Many consider it another pathway to assimilation by bringing all cultures into a “utopian” or “melting pot” co-existence, which undermines the importance of recognizing the myriad of differences between cultures.

It is an imperfect term but not an obsolete concept, as the world and its populations continue to become more interconnected through ongoing immigration, colonization, migration, globalization, changes in demographics and the steadfast impact of marginalized and minority groups in politics, economies, culture and social media.

Trauma is a complex and whole-body experience that many individuals face as a result of both a one-time event or ongoing exposures to accidents, disasters, abuse, oppression, or as a result of Intergenerational and/or Historical Trauma passed down through communities and generations.  It is a whole-body experience, and can manifest in chronic disease, movement limitations, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and can affect our relationships and our ability to work and find purpose.  

I believe trauma and how it shows up in the body, in our emotions and thoughts, can be seen as a messenger - a messenger for change, for healing, and for an opportunity to break a cycle that no longer serves the individual who may be surviving, but not fully living.