Episode #141 - In this deeply grounding and expansive conversation, I sit down with author and embodiment teacher Cynthia Abulafia, creator of Embodying the Goddess, to explore what’s often missing from modern spirituality: the return to the body.

For centuries, spiritual traditions have emphasized transcendence — rising above the body, the mind, or the human experience itself. Cynthia names this pattern the “transcendence bias”: when a tradition teaches us to go up and out, but forgets to teach us how to come back in.

Drawing from over two decades of Shakta Tantra study and trauma-aware yoga therapy, Cynthia introduces a radically inclusive spiritual map rooted in divine feminine principles of curiosity and reverence. Together, we explore what it means to integrate spiritual awakening into everyday life — limitations and all.

Cynthia shares her personal journey through a Kundalini awakening and the profound lessons that followed, including the role of motherhood, breathwork as a bridge between mystical experience and grounded presence, and the importance of safe, supportive relationships during spiritual transformation particularly in the context of the Crone energy/.

This conversation also addresses:

• The dangers of spiritual bypassing
• How to recognize dissociation disguised as awakening
• The power of curiosity in healing trauma
• Why embodiment becomes especially important in midlife
• The wisdom of Crone energy as integration, not decline
• How Shakta Tantra reframes the Goddess as lived experience

If you’ve ever felt destabilized by a spiritual awakening, disconnected from your body, or confused by teachings that seem to prioritize escape over integration, this episode offers a grounded and compassionate reframe.

Awakening is not about leaving the body.

It is about remembering that the body was never separate from the sacred.

Takeaways

• Awakening means coming home to the body, not transcending it.
• Curiosity is essential for integrating spiritual experiences.
• Motherhood embodies the goddess through creation and nurturing.
• Spiritual bypassing can lead to disassociation from the present.
• The breath serves as a bridge between mystical states and grounded presence.
• Every life phase offers unique opportunities for growth.
• Tantric relationships involve mutual reflection and kindness.
• The goddess is not just a concept; she is the world.
• Listening to the body is crucial for spiritual integration.
• Choosing supportive relationships enhances personal growth.

sound bites

"We are always birthing something new."

"Every phase of life is different."

"Notice what you notice."

Connect with Cynthia

@embodyingthegoddessbook

my book.

YouTube.

Substack.

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