Chapter 09

ON SHAME AND GUILT

You can download the audio files for this chapter, listen to them, or stream them on major digital platforms.

EXERCISE 03 – Shame and guilt in my body

A mirror-based embodiment exercise to observe how shame and guilt manifest physically through posture, facial expression and bodily sensations.

EXERCISE 08 – Opening up my body

A posture-shifting exercise challenging shame physically. By adopting an open stance and affirming your worth aloud, you’ll explore how embodiment affects emotion.

EXERCISE 09 – Bringing warmth to shame and guilt

A self-compassion exercise using touch and imagination to soothe areas of the body associated with shame or guilt.

EXERCISE 10 – Stepping out of shame and guilt

A symbolic movement exercise in which you physically step away from the weight of shame or guilt, observing shifts in sensation and emotion.

EXERCISE 12 – Facing those who make me feel ashamed or guilty

A rehearsal exercise for difficult encounters. You’ll practise counteracting automatic shame responses with conscious physical and emotional adjustments.

EXERCISE 16 – Dancing out my freedom

An embodied liberation exercise imagining life without shame or guilt, then expressing that freedom physically through movement.