What is Somatics?

Somatics comes from the Greek word, “soma” which roughly translates into the body in its wholeness.

In somatic coaching and somatic-based work we say that the soma includes sensations, emotions, and narratives all of which give rise to our overall sense of SELF. Also held within the soma are the survival strategies, adaptive behavioral and cognitive patterns that we have embodied throughout our lifetime of experience that have helped us to survive and navigate life. Some traditions may also include that our somas hold patterns that we inherit from beyond this lifetime or ancestral patterns. These historical patterns live in the body on the level of the tissues. In somatics we refer to this whole self that is expressed through the tissues as “shape”. From our current shape we create our lives, take some actions but not others, create a livelihood, and relate to others.

Inevitably throughout our lifetime, we may see that our current shape or aspects of our shape are no longer serving us but is actually inhibiting us from taking action in alignment with our vision and values. It may even be creating breakdowns in our life both personal and professional.

This is a time for somatic transformation.

A somatic definition of transformation that comes through the Strozzi Institute for Somatics is when we can take consistent action in alignment with our vision and values even under the same old pressures. Some of the embodied competencies we may need to develop might be to have access to a wider range of emotions or the ability to both hold complexity or the capacity to be with the unknown. We may need to learn to have a more grounded presence, stronger or more responsive boundaries to enable us to experience more intimacy, more connection and to be able to coordinate effectively and collaborate with others towards a shared future.

What is embodiment?

Embodiment is any behavior we do without conscious thought, meaning it occurs automatically, even when we are under pressure. We will embody anything we practice/ do repeatedly. This includes our moods or state of being, thought and emotional patterns, and behaviors.

In this work we ask the question, “is what we are currently practicing in alignment with what we care about”?

Why does somatics work so well in supporting lasting change?

Somatics holds that these long-held patterns or what we embody live not just in the brain but also in muscle memory and in our tissues.  

We can have insight but until we can unwind these long-held patterns that get in our way on the level of muscle memory and translate this new embodied understanding into a new practice, under pressure we are likely to revert back to the old pattern that we have practiced more and therefore embody more.

Somatic coaching integrates body-based awareness practices and hands-on bodywork to facilitate the transformational process.