Introduction to Somatics

Somatics, or somatic education, is about getting in touch with your body. It is a form of self-learning in which the soma (the body experienced from within) learns to change itself. In somatic education, we use self-observation to reshape our habitual response to common stimuli. Through self-observation, we can make improvements in characteristic stance or posture, modify negative emotional responses, and correct ineffective movement strategies. Redefinition occurs through conscious mediation of the sensory-motor learning process. This concept is extremely beneficial to persons dealing with chronic stress, for the ability to relax at will is one of the most useful skills a person can develop.

As a society, we realize that lifestyle issues such as a hectic daily pace, undetermined priorities, rigid competition in the workplace and in our personal lives, unrealistic role models, unattainable standards, and extreme driven-ness have affected our quality of life in a negative way. Because of such issues, we experience discontent and unhappiness, and find that in spite of our best efforts, our lives lack meaning. We are left with a nagging feeling that we are always running a step behind or that we are never quite in control.

This negative spiral is marked by a lack of somatic awareness. We are so busy, caught up in the tasks and activities of our daily lives that we tend to disregard input or feedback from the body when it tells us that we've had enough, or that we need a rest, or that we're barking up the wrong tree. Yet time after time we refuse to listen to our bodies until they break down. Through the undeniable message of pain, sickness, and reduced functional capacity, the body finally gets our attention.

But usually the driven behavior (which was the root of the problem) continues on, with only a shift in emphasis. Now we frantically search for a way to be fixed. We search to find someone or something that can help us, but we never think to turn the searchlight toward the self for answers. We are so sure that the answer exists somewhere outside ourselves that we never think to look inside ourselves.

The somatic solution for many of our stress-related health problems is found in Mind-Body methods. Mind-Body techniques turn the light on our inner awareness. They help us reconnect with our internal locus of control and challenge us to accept personal responsibility for the situations and relationships in our lives. These techniques teach us to recognize how the external environment affects our internal awareness, and vice versa. They teach us how to consciously restore homeostasis to the body and return serenity to the self. In Mind-Body methods, there is no right or wrong and we seek no particular end goal. We simply stay present for the exploratory process itself, and in those moments of stillness, silence, and objective self-observance, the answers come to us - free and flowing.