Container vs. the contained

My recent creative meandering has lead me straight back to my most favourite of subjects: the figure. That's not to say that I'm picking up where I left off . . . I've certainly got some new questions I'd like to ask about how to represent the body in paint!  There's this whole notion that our bodies are vessels. Without getting too new-agey, I'd like to explore the notion of being present in the body: being aware of its boundaries, extremities, and physical limits. Conversely, I'd also like to explore how our bodies are not seperate from the space around us. We live and breathe in this atmosphere: we are much more connected to the space around us than we think. I'm not seeking harmony or spiritual centering. What I am seeking is a new way to show the contained presense of the body: the innards, physical mass as it relates to space . . . and how that space permeates the body.
I'm pretty sure this is going to involve digging into the physicality of drawing and painting, but I'm hoping that this may lead me to some insights (and possible creations) of sculpture.
Here's a drawing.

Oil pastel and linseed oil on paper