THE EMBODIED PRESENT PROCESS?
This new wellness trend engages the mind in both your head and your belly...
The Embodied Present Process (TEPP) is a set of wellbeing practices that aim to get people out of their own heads, and teach them how to use it to connect with a deeper part of their body to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and better integrate with their peers.
“The practice explores the two ‘brains’ we have in our possession – one in the head and one deep in the belly,” says TEPP creator Philip Shepherd.
“The brain in the head (the male pole) specialises in analysing, supervising, modifying and evaluating. The brain deep in the belly (the female pole) specialises at integration or feeling things as a unity. It’s the centre of the body’s intelligence and is aware of roughly a million times more information than the head brain. TEPP is about getting these brains to work together.”
How do you practise TEPP?
TEPP courses are available to download online (tepp.life) from $30, and will take you through a number of activities. Here’s an idea of the kinds of practices you’ll learn:
• Close your eyes and notice where you see the world from. Practise dropping this centre of awareness down through the neck, through the torso, and down onto the belly. From that place start to attune to the world, and see how that feels.
• Bring awareness to your legs by putting your focus on them – allow the energy of your legs to be felt as you walk. Let them take charge rather than giving the order from the head.
What are the benefits?
“TEPP acknowledges that the body provides a valuable bridge to the world,” says Philip.
“Through this practice people can reduce stress in their lives, learn to calm hyperactive thoughts, learn how truly being present feels, have a place to come home to in themselves and begin to live their true purpose as they reconnect and improve every relationship in their life in a way that seemed distant before.”
What sets it apart?
There are already practices out there, such as mindfulness and even yoga that aim to bring you to a deeper state of awareness, so you may be wondering how exactly TEPP differs.
“Meditation, yoga and mindfulness tend to be more ‘head led’,”says Philip. “TEPP teaches people how to be [mentally and physically] connected to themselves and the world around them.”