Embodied Leadership: Dr. Martha Eddy’s Movement Revolution

Dr. Martha Eddy has spent over four decades weaving together science, art, and empathy to create transformative experiences through movement and bodily awareness. As the founder of Dynamic Embodiment®, she has helped countless individuals — from cancer survivors to corporate leaders — reconnect with their bodies, build resilience, and rediscover joy. In this conversation, she shares insights on healing, leadership, and the deep intelligence of the moving body.

What first inspired you to explore movement as a way to heal and help people?

From a young age, I realized that movement wasn’t just physical — it was emotional and spiritual. Dancing gave me a language beyond words, a way to read the body language of NYC’s different cultures and to process life’s complexities. Later, studying physiology and somatic education helped me see how deeply our bodies store experience and wisdom. That understanding inspired me to dedicate my life to helping people reconnect with that inner “somatic” intelligence for healing and growth.

For someone new to somatics, how would you explain what Dynamic Embodiment is in simple terms?

Dynamic Embodiment® helps people tune into the messages of their bodies — their “inner voice” expressed through movement, breath, and sensation. It’s a way of becoming aware of our sensations, and their relationship to emotions (how we feel) and therefore relate to the world.  Through awareness of our body and movement we can make conscious choices throughout the day. Shifting out of stressed or overwhelmed states  toward balance, well-being, and vitality.

You’ve helped people facing cancer, stress, and even trauma. What’s one story that stays with you about the power of movement to bring change?

I’ll never forget all the women recovering from breast cancer who joinof my Moving for Life classes coming in exhausted, withdrawn, and unsure of their strength. Over time, through gentle dance and shared joy in community, so many  rediscoverconfidence — not just  bodily, but in her life. One woman had just lost her son, seeing her laugh and move freely again, after the group consoled her, reminded me that healing is as much about connection to community as it is about the body.

Why do you think movement can reach people in ways that talking or thinking alone sometimes can’t?

Because movement bypasses the intellect. We have many parts of our brains dedicated to our muscles, our organs and even our hormones.  Our bodies hold memories and emotions long before we can name them. When we move, we open channels of awareness that words alone can’t access. That’s why movement often brings relief, insight, or even tears — it’s the body finally speaking its truth. Words of insight can emerge from these experiences of “letting go” of held emotions and movement patterns.

You’ve trained leaders, coaches, and therapists. Why do even experts need mentorship and embodied support?

Even those who guide others need spaces to refill their own energy. There is compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization.  The body doesn’t lie — if we’re depleted, disconnected, or overwhelmed, it shows. Embodied mentorship helps professionals stay grounded, empathetic, and authentic, which allows them to lead and serve from a place of presence rather than burnout. This is what I teach in my Active Embodiment for Coaches training! 

How does dance or free movement help people feel more resilient in everyday life?

When you move freely, you practice adaptability. You learn how to flow, recover, and find rhythm again after disruption — just like in life.  Dance teaches us that resilience isn’t about rigidity, but about staying fluid, curious, and open to what’s next. It is a type of practice that teaches readiness to pivot, or shift gears.

You’ve brought science, creativity, and healing together in your work. How do those pieces connect for you?

They’re all parts of the same whole. Science gives us understanding, creativity brings expression, and healing restores balance. When those three meet in the body, transformation becomes possible — we not only think differently, we move differently. And, the science helps me communicate directly with the medical and health communities, bringing new somatic and arts ideas to them. 

What role does joy and play have in the way you teach and guide others?

Joy is medicine. Play – creative exploration and interactions –  opens the nervous system to learning and release. In my classes, we may feel down or tired at first but as we laugh, improvise, and explore joy emerges. When an experience of joy is shared it helps the body and remember safety. With safety we can feel free again.   Healing doesn’t have to be heavy — and certainly shouldn’t stay that way.  It can be full of lightness and discovery.

You’re also passionate about the environment and water advocacy. How does movement help raise awareness for bigger issues in the world?

Movement connects us to the Earth — to gravity, breath, and the water within our own bodies. When people dance for causes like Global Water Dances (a project I’ve been involved with leading since 2008), they feel their kinship with nature and each other. It’s activism through embodiment — a physical and cognitive reminder that what we do to the planet, we also do to ourselves.

After more than 40 years of this work, what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about the body and the human spirit?

That the body never stops wanting to heal — and that awareness and movement is the route to support any healing. When we listen, even gently, we begin to uncover strength, grace, and peace that were there all along. With experience it become an important language for healing.