SOMATICS; A JOURNEY INTO YOUR BODY

As the weather gets warmer we may want to start travelling and exploring, how about taking some time today to explore within? What if I told you that there were countless landscapes to be explored within your own body using simple somatic techniques.

Somatics can be explained in many ways, the way that I personally share somatics is as a holistic practice that cultivates a deeper awareness and understanding of our responses to experiences by consciously being immersed in the here and now by tuning into a sensations within, it's a little different from being mindful. When we are being mindful, we are observing, in somatics we go a step further and embody the sensations whilst being anchored to Self, being anchored to Self could also be described as being centred. Somatic tools can help us develop our self-awarness, increase emotional resilience, become more grounded and in some cases can help ease chronic pain and sleep issues. Adventuring within using somatic practices is a way to explore your whole being with compassion and curiosity.

The word Somatics was coined from Thomas Hanna who took it from the Greek word soma, meaning body, yet in this context, it refers to the experience of the body from within. Not one being will experience the same place, sentence or event exactly the same as another. Even those of us who have grown up with siblings will feel and perceive things differently as every single second our body absorbs a new experience forming our understanding of the world, in Somatics we believe that the body holds not just physical memories but also emotional experiences. Our body is a mini ecosystem of thoughts, emotions, memories, and patterns of behaviour and by tuning into these, we can discover pathways to healing, release, and personal transformation. Try the following exercises to journey within.

Grounding

With your feet on the floor, notice the surface beneath you, can you broaden and release your feet further towards the floor? How does the surface of the floor feel on the feet? How are the feet responding? Where is the weight in your feet? Is one foot weighing further down than the other? Can you imagine the feet rooting further towards the safe sensation of the earth with each exhale? How does it feel to lengthen your exhale?

This is an exercise that can be helpful if you experience anxiety or you find that you ‘live in your head’ more than your body.

Breathwork

In the previous exercise I mentioned lengthening the exhale, this can regulate the nervous system, bringing us back to a sense of safety and calm. In this exercise the breath is the focus. Hold out your right hand, then use the index finger of your left hand, stroke up your right thumb when inhaling, then stroke down your thumb with a lengthened exhale, move on to the right index finger, then middle finger and continue until you get to the little finger. See if you can inhale through the nose and exhale through a small gap in the lips. By the end you will have helped to regulate your nervous system into a calmer place with just five breaths.

BodyScans

Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down, this can be a good practice to do in bed before going to sleep. Feel the weight of your body resting down on whatever is supporting you then start scanning your body from feet to head, noticing where you are holding tension. Sometimes just by being aware of where we are holding tension we can start to release it. You can find many body scans on the internet if you prefer to be led.

Titration

Moving from a pleasant sensation to a not so pleasant feeling within the body in a safe environment. Start by thinking of a person/ animal/ place or something that brings you joy and safety, this is your anchor. Notice how you feel within your body, can you feel a sensation of space arising? Close your eyes and feel into the landscape of your body, maybe your imagination conjures up the image of a pleasant place. Mine for example is a beautiful forest.

Now think of a place/person or something that you don’t associate with joy. Notice how your body now feels. You may suddenly feel tension arise in certain areas. You may notice that your inner landscape has shifted. How would youd you describe it now? I would describe mine as an arid desert in a sandstorm for example.

Now bring yourself back to what gives you joy and enjoy the sensations here for a while, breathe into the space and positive bodily sensations that come with it. When we can consciously titrate from one sensation to another we become more aware of our bodies responses to situations so that when our bodies subconsciously react before our brains in an uncomfortable situation we will become aware that we are getting triggered and have time to respond thoughtfully rather than reacting.

Somatic Movement & Exercises

Yoga can be described as a somatic exercise however any movement can be somatic so long as you are moving consciously and feeling into the internal experience. It is not about achieving an end posture, it is more about coming into your body with curiosity and bringing your attention completely into the movement. I often ask clients to imagine stepping into their bodies for the first time.

Try opening your arms up and wide on your inhale and down on the exhale. Keep repeating the movement with the eyes closed so you can come fully into your body.

• Notice where do you feel the movement coming from within your body.

• Where feels tense?

• Where feels relaxed?

• What other parts of your body are moving along with you?

• What is the rhythm of your breath?

• How would you describe the energy within your body?

Through moving with awareness we can not only release tension in the body, we can also reconnect to muscles that may have ‘gone offline’ If the body has experienced an injury our bodies may compensate by using alternative muscles which is great in the short term however if our bodies continue to use the alternative muscles then we may experience chronic pain later in life. Simple repetitive embodied movement can help us reconnect.

I hope that you enjoyed your somatic exploration, as with any journey, there is so much to discover! This journey can be empowering as we learn to compassionately live more fully within ourselves, by tapping into our inner landscape we discover our inner wisdom, intuition, emotional balance, and a deeper personal understanding.