Solitude as Bodily Sovereignty

Sor Juana chose convent life partly as a sanctuary for intellectual work—a space where her body could be hers, protected from marriage, reproduction, and male authority. Solitude, in her case, was not isolation but sovereignty: the ability to control access to her body and time. This concept reframes withdrawal not as rejection but as necessary reclamation. For body as identity, Sor Juana demonstrates that we cannot know ourselves physically while constantly performing for others' expectations. Solitude creates the psychological and temporal space to observe how our bodies feel, move, and respond without external surveillance. It allows us to distinguish between imposed bodily norms and our authentic physical self-concept. Whether through meditation, retreat, or simply protected time, solitude becomes a practice of bodily justice—asserting that our physical selves belong first to ourselves, not to institutions or observers.