What are Somatics?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – your body speaks to you.
When it’s feeling good, when it’s achy, when it’s suffering. It’s up to you to not only listen, but to take action. You only get one body so why not treat it the way it deserves?
A great way to be both proactive and reactive is through somatics.
Let’s talk about what somatics are, transforming your wellbeing, ways to practice and more.
Somatics
Healthline defines somatics as “the mind-body connection to help you survey your internal self and listen to signals from your body on pain, discomfort or imbalance.”
Essentially it’s this idea that certain practices and movements use your body to process what’s happening within.
You can be proactive by incorporating somatic exercises as well as reactive by using somatic therapy. They’re very similar, however, somatic therapy can be viewed as a treatment. They both carry many benefits.
It may become clearer as we walk through different exercises and practices below.
Somatic Exercises
Put simply: it’s movement. Moving your body intentionally with a focus on what’s happening internally. Paying attention to how you feel and what the movement does for you is key.
These exercises and types of movement are compelling and emotionally-rooted.
You’re able to get in tune with your body in a way that increases emotional awareness. You’re then able to better care for yourself, interact with others easily and live freely. It’s a domino effect of goodness.
Examples of Somatic Exercises:
Rolfing
Body-Mind Centering
Alexander Technique
Dance
Yoga
Pilates
Aikido
Somatic Therapy
Similarly, somatic therapy revolves around the same principle revolving around the mind-body connection.
A somatic therapist will couple talk therapy alongside physical approaches for treatment. The idea is that you’ll start to notice your physical reactions triggered by traumatic memories. You’re becoming aware to move through and past.
Through somatic therapy, the hope becomes that physical effects are addressed and treated.
Techniques
The practices outlined below are designed to enhance internal awareness. When accomplished, we are able to redirect attention to the body instead the mind. What does this do? It strengthens the mind-body connection.
In the long run, this strengthened connection allows for the release of suppressed emotions and therefore, decreases stress.
Three somatic techniques:
Butterfly Hug
Cross your hands across your chest (butterfly shape)
Place your middle fingers just below your collarbone
Interlace your thumbs
Start a slow + rhythmic tapping with your hands (alternate between the right and left side)
Do this for two minutes
4-7-8 Breath
Sit or lie down comfortably
Inhale through your nose for a count of four
Hold for a count of seven
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of eight
That completes one breath cycle
Complete four full cycles
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Sit or lie down
Tense the muscles in your toes for a count of five then let go + relax
Progressively tense and relax your muscles moving upward from your toes to your head (legs, abdomen, chest, back, arms, neck and face)
Pay attention to the sensations that arise as well as the contrast between the two
Benefits
There’s a lot that somatics can help with. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to incorporate a few into your habits. In doing so, you could enhance your stress management, healing and mood.
A few benefits include:
Releasing muscle tension
Helping digestive issues
Reducing respiratory complications
Decreasing chronic pain / Help with pain relief
Improving sleep
Betters emotional awareness
Refines balance, coordination and range of movement
Takeaways
It’s always beneficial to better yourself in any way possible.
While you may believe you don’t need somatics, you might be surprised by how good they make you feel. There’s nothing wrong with trying it out for a while to see how your body + mind change. Give it a try a few days!
Be reactive when you need to. But also be proactive. Connect with your body daily to improve awareness, mood and stress levels.