A creative embodiment exercise to help you visualize, name and honor what safety, desire and joy feel like in your body.
With mental health check-ins, a body cues chart and a pleasure language guide.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Your body is a compass. It’s how you know when you’re safe, when you’re curious, when you’re lit up. But for many of us, especially Black women and femmes, our relationship to our bodies has been shaped by trauma, survival, silence and pressure to perform. This exercise is about returning to the body as a site of wisdom, pleasure and exploration.
It’s also about mental health. Learning to listen to your body can reduce anxiety, increase self-trust and support emotional regulation. You are allowed to move at your own pace, with tenderness.
STEP 1: Body Cues Chart
Tune into what safety, desire and pleasure feel like in your body.
Instructions:
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Read the sample cues in each category.
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Focus on what resonates.
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Add your own information (your body is unique and may speak differently).
BODY CUES CHART
SAFETY
When your body feels safe, you might notice:
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Deep, even breath
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Relaxed jaw or hands
- Warmth in your chest
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Shoulders down
- Relaxed belly
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Grounded feet
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Slowness or stillness
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Add your own:
DESIRE
When you feel desire, you might notice:
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Tingling or warmth in your pelvis
- Faster breath
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Leaning forward
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Increased energy or restlessness
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Buzzing in fingers
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Magnetic pull toward someone or something
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Add your own:
SPARKS
When you feel sparks, you might notice:
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Spontaneous smiling or laughter
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Lightness in your chest
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Urge to move or dance
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Bouncing energy
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Goosebumps
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Add your own:
MENTAL HEALTH INTEGRATION
Sometimes, the body speaks through discomfort, too.
Anxiety, dissociation or shutting down can be cues that something is too much, too fast or too unfamiliar. Here’s how to gently include those states:
OVERWHELM OR DISCONNECTION
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Numbness
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Shallow breath
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Blank mind or racing thoughts
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Cold hands or feet
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Difficulty speaking or focusing
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“Floating outside of myself” feeling
- Add your own:
These cues don’t mean you’re broken. They mean your nervous system is protecting you. You are allowed to pause, breathe or reach out for support.
STEP 2: Guided Body Cues Activity
“Feel It to Name It”
A self-awareness practice to help you recognize body signals as they happen—or recall them from memory.
PART 1: Body Scan + Sensation Mapping
Find a quiet space. Sit or lie down comfortably.
Set a timer for 5–10 minutes.
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Take a few deep breaths.
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Close your eyes and slowly scan your body from head to toe.
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Ask:
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What do I feel right now?
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Where do I feel open, tense, warm, tight, still?
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Open your eyes and write down what you noticed.
Optional: Draw an outline of your body and mark the sensations.
PART 2: Memory Activation
Reflect on one of the following:
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A moment I felt deeply safe
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A moment I felt true desire
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A moment I felt pure joy
Write about:
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What was happening?
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What did my body feel like?
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What did I need or want in that moment?
PART 3: Daily 5-Min Check-In (Mental Health Support)
For 3–5 days, pause once daily and ask:
| What I Notice in My Body | What Emotion Might Be Present | What I Need or Want |
|---|---|---|
| i.e. Tight chest, shallow breath | Anxious, overwhelmed | A walk, water, silence |
| i.e. Warm belly, smile | Joyful, connected | To share, to stay present |
This practice builds emotional fluency and gently supports regulation.
STEP 3: Create Your Pleasure Language Guide
Turn your cues into a living map of needs, boundaries, and desires.
| Emotion / State | Body Cues | What It Means to Me | I Need / I Desire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety | i.e. Steady breath, soft belly | “I feel grounded” | “To rest, stay, speak” |
| Desire | i.e. Buzzing hands, open chest | “I’m curious” | “To move closer, explore” |
| Sparks | i.e. Laughter, bouncing energy | “I’m excited” | “To celebrate, share it” |
Keep this as a reminder when you’re unsure what you need.
OPTIONAL REFLECTION PROMPTS
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What surprised me about how my body speaks?
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When is it easiest for me to hear my body? When is it hardest?
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What helps me return to safety if I feel disconnected?
Final Note from Upspoken + RoyalTea
This is sacred work. Learning to listen to your body is an act of healing, rebellion, and self-love, especially in a world that teaches Black women and femmes to override, ignore or mistrust their own instincts.
We see you. We honor your wisdom.