Positionality lives in the body

What might it mean to feel your privilege, not just know it intellectually?

Whether it’s race, class, ability, gender or any other social identity you hold, privilege shapes how we move, how we are received and what we don’t have to notice.

Building somatic awareness is a personal practice AND a foundation for holding space with care, whether in a classroom, a research team, or a boardroom. When we learn to witness our own patterns with honesty, we’re better able to create spaces where others feel seen.

Below is a short invitation to explore how privilege might show up in your body.

You might want to carve out just 5–10 minutes. You are at choice and can engage as much or as little as you want. You can stop any time.

☘️ Start by noticing your environment, any shapes, colours, sounds.

☘️ Notice the weight of your body: on the chair, on the ground.

☘️ Then gently bring to mind a time when a privilege you hold became visible to you.

What do you notice in your body?
What sensations arise?
Is there energy, emotion, impulse to move?

If you feel the urge to move — you're more than welcome to do so.
If you need to pause — you could do that too anytime.

This is about building the capacity to stay present, not about doing it ‘right’.

If you’re curious, you might explore:
— What posture or gesture your privilege would take, if it had shape?
— If you start to move, does your movement feel free or sticky? Big or small? Spacious or rigid?

You might want to journal, sketch, or share what came up with a friend.

And gently ask yourself: what felt easier to witness? What was harder?

This kind of practice is about inquiry and being curious. It might not give you an answer, but it can help you be present, and stay with the questions.