Name: Suddenly, my body
Uploaded: 2011-08-05T17:06:15Z
Duration: 12 min 41 s
Description: Poet, writer, activist Eve Ensler lived in her head. In this powerful talk from TEDWomen, she talks about her lifelong disconnection from her body -- and how two shocking events helped her to connect with the reality, the physicality of being human.

Poet, writer, activist Eve Ensler lived in her head. In this powerful talk from TEDWomen, she talks about her lifelong disconnection from her body -- and how two shocking events helped her to connect with the reality, the physicality of being human.

Suddenly, my body

Disconnection from the body can blind people to suffering and drive relentless striving. Hearing the stories of women in war-torn Congo—like a girl traumatized by soldiers or an elderly woman brutalized—shattered a lifelong sense of separation. A cancer diagnosis forced an awakening, revealing the deep link between personal pain and global wounds. True healing began with embracing vulnerability, recognizing interconnectedness, and accepting the responsibility that comes with belonging to a shared world.