What is Somatics?

Lately there is lots of talk in the world of complementary / alternative healthcare about Somatics, Somatic therapies, Somatic practices, etc. But what exactly is this all about and what does it mean for you?

The origins of the word somatic, according to etymonline.com are as follow:  

"pertaining to the body" (as distinct from the soul, spirit, or mind).

Its roots date back to 1775 France with the word somatique, and then the directly Latinized form from Greece, sōmatikos, both meaning "of the body," or sōma (genitive sōmatos) "the body”.

If you put the prefix somat- in front of another word, you get this:

word-forming element meaning "the body of an organism.” 

One commonly used and presently relevant example would be the compound word Somatosensory, meaning the sensory body of an organism. This is the area with which Somatics concerns itself. 

Have you ever been in a situation where you unexpectedly had a “good cry”? Maybe in a yoga class or during a massage. Have you ever experienced being “touched” in a way that was so gentle that it profoundly caught your attention? Or possibly went so deep in a guided meditation that you felt as if you were no longer in your body? These might be some simple examples of how powerful the work of a somatic therapist or somatic practices can be.

I recently posted a short video about my personal experience of doing psychotherapy over the years as a method for deeper self-exploration and then, after becoming a devoted meditator and yogini, discovering that suddenly my psycho- therapy was making a recognizable difference in my life. This was remarkable, at first, but after some years I realized that it was actually the meditation and yoga that were supercharging my therapy experience. Now it makes perfect sense to me, but this was over 25 years ago and there was no clearly delineated map at that time. By including my body in the process of my therapeutic exploration and by moving the held material in my body’s memory, I was able to go deeper and more efficiently optimize my psychotherapy experience.

Recently, in a discussion I was having with a friend and colleague she said: “the body is the unconscious mind.” I thought that was a stroke of brilliance! The reason I thought this is because I know from my years of work (and my own personal experiences) that we hold memories in our connective tissues. While on the table, the mat, or the cushion, it is not unusual at all for people to suddenly tap into memories. I frequently hear a client say: “I haven’t thought about that in ages.” Or something along that frequency. I’ve had clients suddenly experience deep sadness or ecstatic joy. Sometimes they simply see their same old situation from a slightly different perspective, but that subtle shift creates an avalanche of insight. This is the potential that is possible in Yoga Therapy, Somatic Therapy & Education.

It happens first by approaching with a new mindset, preferably what the Zen Buddhists call “Beginner’s Mind” or something that I refer to as presence.  I attend to my client not in the old way, in accordance with the old story but in a new way. Utilizing the yogic practice of Ahimsa (non-harming), I divorce myself of judgements, and then I can help my client to do the same. When I approach the tissue, the asana, the breath, the meditation practice, or the session in general in this way, I can bring something fresh, pure and unexpected to my client. If I do this well and successfully, and if they are willing to allow themself to have an equally open and novel attitude toward themself, they no longer have to carry that old story with that old, familiar “charge”. This is when freedom of mind, body and emotion can come into play.

Einstein said that problems cannot be solved with the same mindset that created them. I think we can apply this wisdom thought here because, if I’m suffering from something that is plaguing my mind or my emotions, (or even my body) I have to get outside of that behavior or the way of thinking that produced that suffering in order to be able to see the problem and then find the solution. Often, the solution comes quickly once the problem is clearly seen. Einstein also said that if he had an hour to solve a problem, he’d spend 55 minutes defining it and the last 5 minutes creating the solution. This shows my point: once we get out of the way of our habituated thinking, we can more clearly see the problem (and not be identified with it or attached to it). Then our problem more quickly abates. 

Today we live in a new reality. It’s a reality where an endless wealth of information is available at all times of the day and night. Historically, we didn’t know if the information existed and so we’d have to actively seek it out. We’d have to go into uncomfortable and unfamiliar places to achieve progress towards our goal. These days, more than ever we find ourselves in situations where our circuits can overload. With so much information available, one can easily become lost in a storm of confusing and conflicting data dumps. 

This is where an experienced teacher or therapist become invaluable to a seeker. Finding a knowledgeable, experienced and empathetic guide to make this journey into your SOMA can definitely expedite the process or help to ensure your success. 

Somatic Therapy and Somatic Education are very much something that you want to know more about if you are wanting to feel more at home in your own skin. Are you ready and willing to liberate your bliss body from your pain body? If you enjoy feeling good, or would like to, and just don’t know how to fully get there, a session with a qualified Somatic Therapist can open the doors that you haven’t even perceived to be there. It’s pleasant and fun. It’s remarkably simple. And there is so much to be explored there in your tissue. In your body. In your SOMA. 

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