How Christian Embodiment Heals Trauma: A Faith-Based Approach
I used to think my body was the problem. It felt too big, too tired, too broken, and honestly, just too much to manage. So I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I hustled. I dieted. I pushed through injuries. I ignored hunger and called it discipline. I wore my busyness like a badge, proud of how much I could carry even if it was silently crushing me. Movement became punishment. Food became morality. Somewhere deep down, I believed that if I could just get it right, my size, my energy, my mood, then maybe, just maybe, I’d finally feel peace in my own skin. But peace never came.
If you’re new to this small little corner of the internet, welcome. Ten years ago, I was underweight spiritually and overweight physically. I started chasing weight loss, desperate to feel better in my body. But what I found was something deeper. I found freedom. Not because I hit a goal weight, but because God met me right in the middle of my mess. I’ve been sharing my thoughts, insights, and hard-earned wisdom on this blog ever since.
And maybe, you know exactly what I mean. Maybe you’ve spent years’ decades trying to earn your rest. You’ve confused hustle for holiness. You’ve believed the lie that your worth is in your willpower. But now, your body is whispering what your spirit is too weary to say: This isn’t working.
And Sis, and I know you’re not my sister by blood, but maybe by Spirit, or maybe just by shared struggle, hear me when I say this: it’s not your fault. The problem was never your body. The invitation has always been there, quietly waiting, calling you to come home to yourself. To rest in the presence of a God who isn’t checking your waistline or your to-do list. To move with grace instead of guilt. To eat with joy instead of shame. To live like you’re already loved, because you are.
And yes, I know it might sound easier for me to say that now. I’ve hit my goal weight. I live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. But let me be clear, that’s not the win. Because one question I ask almost every client is this: “What will actually change when you hit your goal weight?” And most of the time, their answer is… nothing. Not their joy. Not their peace. Not their sense of worth.
Because this isn’t about your body. It never was. It’s about something so much deeper, something holy. And I can say that not because I’ve mastered it, but because I’ve lived it. I’ve done the diets. I’ve run the miles. I’ve punished and praised my body in the same breath. But eventually, I stopped chasing the mirror and started chasing the truth. And that journey, the messy, grace-filled, holy journey, is what I’ve poured into my book.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phillipians 3:12
So if your heart is pounding and you feel seen right now, keep reading. Because I wrote this for you.
The Culture of Hustle, the Cost of Disconnection
We live in a culture that praises self-optimization and glorifies hustle. It’s overwhelming the messages we get daily. Wellness becomes another thing to conquer. Productivity becomes a false idol. And women, especially Christian women, are often told that their bodies are either a distraction or an afterthought.
Check out my post.
But God never called us to hustle for our worth. He called us to abide (John 15:4–5).
Modern neuroscience affirms what Scripture has long declared: striving from a place of fear or shame dysregulates our nervous systems and keeps us in chronic states of stress. “The body keeps the score,” as Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes, storing emotional pain in our tissues, posture, and breath patterns (Van der Kolk, 2015). Our attempts to disconnect from our discomfort only deepen our dis-ease.
But when we slow down, breathe, and reconnect to the body with compassion, something beautiful happens. Our parasympathetic nervous system activates the systems that tell us to take a moment, rest, and process what’s going on. Cortisol levels decrease. Blood flow returns to the prefrontal cortex (the decision making part of our brain), allowing us to respond instead of react (Porges, 2011). In simple terms: when we stop hustling and start listening, healing begins. I teach it, I preach it, and I live it. It really does work, and it can change you from the inside out. But it takes time. Everything in nature does, and it takes more time than a 90-day fix. It’s an ongoing lifestyle change that may require you to do things you didn’t do before, live how you never lived, and remove things in your life that are not serving you well.
From the Garden to the Mirror
This war we feel between our body and our worth is not new. It goes all the way back to the garden. In Genesis 1:27–31, God created us in His image and called us “very good.” There was no shame in Adam and Eve’s nakedness. Only wholeness, belonging, and embodied peace. But the moment sin entered the picture, so did shame. What did Adam and Eve do? They hid. Covered up. Distrusted the very body God called good. And dressed themself with temporary, uncomfortable fig leaves.
And we’ve been doing it ever since.
We’ve inherited what I call the “fig leaf mentality,” that deep, exhausting drive to cover up what we think is wrong with us. To manage our image. To fix, perform, and prove our worth instead of simply receiving it. But let’s pause for a second, because have you ever felt a fig leaf? It’s rough. Scratchy. Abrasive. That’s what shame management feels like. The tools we use to hide perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking, and body obsession they rub us raw. And they never actually heal us. They just keep us reaching for the next fix, the next plan, the next version of ourselves we hope will finally be “enough.” But the gospel doesn’t ask for self-improvement. It invites surrender. It calls us into wholeness, not through performance, not through punishment, not through perfection, but through Christ alone.
Romans 12:1 urges us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship.” Not your productivity. Not your waistline. Your body. What if your healing didn’t start with more hustle, but with honoring your body as holy?
The Science of Embodiment
Embodiment, by definition, is the experience of being fully present and aware in your physical body, and it’s more than just a buzzword. It’s a proven path to healing. Researchers like Dr. Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Theory) and Dr. Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) show how trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress disconnect us from our bodies. This disconnection can lead to digestive issues, autoimmune flares, hormone imbalance, disordered eating, and mental health struggles (Levine, 2010; Porges, 2011). I have experienced many of these disembodied symptoms.
But when we practice breathwork, slow movement, mindful eating, and self-compassion, we begin to rewire our brain’s neural pathways. A concept known as neuroplasticity (Siegel, 2020). Over time, new habits of peace, presence, and embodied trust can replace old patterns of self-rejection and shame. I like to say that what we repeat, we root, and neuroplasticity can be for us or against us. Depending on what we are repeating. In other words, the body is not the obstacle. It’s the access point to healing.
Healing Isn’t Just Physical. It’s Spiritual
Scientific discovery is now aligning with timeless biblical truth. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. That’s not metaphorical. God dwells in us. And yet, so many of us live like renters in our own bodies; detached, critical, ashamed. But what if the body you live in right now, with its scars, softness, stretch marks, and stories, is already a sacred space?
Jesus didn’t bypass the body in His ministry. He healed it, touched it, nourished it, and resurrected it. And He still does. The invitation isn’t to escape your body. It’s to meet Jesus there.
Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” That includes your face, your posture, your body, and your breath. You are not meant to live bowed under shame. You are invited to rise and live beloved.
That’s Why I Wrote The Embodied Beloved
This book is my offering, part story, part theology, part practical guide, to help women stop striving and start healing.
Inside you’ll find:
Breath prayers and spiritual practices to reconnect with God through your body
Science-backed insights on trauma, neuroplasticity, digestion, hormones, and embodiment
Theological grounding for intuitive eating, rest rhythms, and movement as worship
Stories of transformation from women who traded shame for freedom
Somatic and physical exercises to help you feel rooted, safe, and whole again
Biblically based eating guidelines to help you nourish God’s temple at its best.
You’ll learn how to steward, not shrink, your body. You’ll reclaim food, movement, and rest as acts of worship. And most of all, you’ll remember who you are: The Beloved.
Pre-Order Now + Begin the Journey
The Embodied Beloved releases July 1, but when you pre-order now, you’ll receive an exclusive Companion Journal Preview filled with Scripture meditations, reflection prompts, and healing practices to begin today.
Let this be your Summer with the Savior, a sacred reset of heart, mind, and body.
No more hustling. No more hiding.
It’s time to come home to your body, your breath, and your Belovedness.
References (APA Style):
- Levine, P. A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. North Atlantic Books.
- Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Siegel, D. J. (2020). The Power of Showing Up. Ballantine Books.
- Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
