How Somatics Can Help You Improve Body Awareness and Unlock Inner Balance

In the fast-paced world we live in, it’s easy to lose connection with your body. You might forget to listen to what your body is telling you. Or confine your experiences and emotions to the realm of your thoughts. 

But your body holds important messages, too. As a spiritual counselor, this is something I emphasize with my clients all the time. Reconnecting with your body can be powerful and transformative – and somatics help you do just that. 

This ancient approach can help you heal and understand traumatic experiences that live in your physical being. It can also provide clarity during life’s chaotic transitions. 

But listening to the messages from your body isn’t always easy. Sometimes, there’s too much “noise” in your mind to hear what your body is trying to say. It’s almost like learning a new language – the language of your body.

Practicing somatics is the first step to understanding the messages your body sends.

What is Somatics?

Somatics is a therapeutic method that emphasizes the connection between the mind and body. It’s about noticing how your body reacts to emotions and life experiences.¹ This method goes beyond traditional talk therapy by including your body in the healing process. 

There’s no doubt – your body is a wise storyteller. Somatics simply teaches you how to listen to it. For example, when you’re nervous, your stomach might feel queasy. Somatics helps you understand this response and how to process these signals.²

It’s about understanding how your body communicates your life’s stories, joys, and pains. Somatics helps you listen to these stories – to feel them and move through them for holistic healing.³

When you become aware of your body’s sensations and needs, you are more present and mindful within your body. This leads to a host of benefits and strengthens your mind-body connection. 

How Somatics Heals Your Mind, Body & Soul

Somatics is especially useful for those who feel overwhelmed by life’s changes. Some of the benefits include:

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Relieving physical pain or tension
• Addressing deep emotional issues
• Managing depression, grief, or addiction
• Decreasing digestive disorders
• Improving sexual dysfunction

Many of these benefits help your physical being. But somatics can create a ripple effect that helps you heal other parts of your whole self. 

As I explain to my clients, each of us has four levels or layers within us: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Each of these levels is connected – and what happens on one level can resonate up or down with the others. 

Somatics helps you address the symptoms and physical expressions occurring within your body (or on the physical level). By understanding and addressing these physical expressions, you begin to heal deeper mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds.

This can lead you to feel a sense of inner balance and peace. 

But Does It Really Work?

Somatic therapy is grounded in the mind-body connection – and healing involves addressing both. 

It’s not just about talking through problems but feeling and experiencing them in a safe and guided manner. This can be a very effective healing method that changes how you feel and interact with the world. 

But let’s look at it a bit further.

Somatics stems from the idea that many of us mistrust our physical bodies. We rely heavily on thinking – and the Western medicine model only encourages this. 

But breaking the mind-body connection can lead to a psychosomatic split, which leaves us feeling unsafe in our own bodies. Past trauma only reinforces this unsafe feeling because we hold on to coping strategies or emotional habits that no longer serve us. So when a new experience or emotional response occurs, we might feel threatened, react badly, or shut down.²

Somatics helps you gently let go of your old coping strategies and habits. In turn, you learn new ones that help you process your body’s responses in healthier ways. Over time, you start to feel safe in your body again. And the split in your mind-body connection begins to heal naturally. 

You start to embody what you’ve always wanted to be and act more aligned with your values.

How Can You Practice Somatics?

Somatic practices have been around for centuries. Ancient techniques have been transformed into modern practices (like yoga or meditation), and modern somatics can take many forms.

Psychology Today describes modern somatic therapy as:

A combination of “mindfulness, talk therapy, and what can be considered alternative forms of physical therapy. The [spiritual counselor] helps you focus on your body or revive memories of traumatic experiences and pays attention to any physical responses you have once the emotion is experienced or the memory is recovered.”⁴

The goal is to address the split between your mind and body. So it’s not about using a specific somatic therapy or technique – it’s about combining mindfulness and body awareness to heal your whole self. 

Some examples of guided somatic techniques are the ancient healing practices I use with my clients:

• Depth Hypnosis
• Applied Shamanic Counseling
• Shamanic Healing Practices

These methods involve guided meditation, internal focus on your body, and conversations to talk through your experiences. Like with any somatic practice, the goal is to help you heal the wounds causing a split in your mind-body connection. 

Another classic example of a somatic technique is a guided body scan. You’re led through each part of your body and encouraged to notice sensations without judgment. This practice helps you recognize where you might be holding stress or emotional pain. Then, you can learn how to gently release it.

Can I Do Somatic Therapy By Myself?

While working with a professional can be incredibly beneficial, there are also ways to practice somatic therapy on your own. You can reconnect with your body by trying simple exercises like:

• Mindful, conscious, or focused breathing
• Slow stretching, gentle movements, or yoga flows
• Dancing freely to music
• “Bodywork” similar to massage or physical therapy
• Mobilizing exercises that loosen your joints or muscles
• Simple weight shifts that bring you back to center

The key is to be present and attentive to your physical sensations. Allow yourself to explore them with curiosity and openness. Make a habit of asking yourself, “What’s causing this physical sensation?”

You’ll learn how to notice and interpret the signals your body sends – and understand the emotional context behind them.

Somatics Can Heal Your Mind-Body Connection

Somatics is more than just a practice – it’s a pathway to holistic well-being. This approach can be very effective. And it offers significant changes in how you feel and interact with your body. 

If you find yourself feeling stuck or disconnected, remember that your body holds a deep wisdom waiting to be explored. So try a simple somatic technique (like mindful breathing or slow stretching) to feel more present in your body.

Or book a discovery call with me to experience a guided and intentional somatic healing session with a professional spiritual counselor. I’ll help you discover somatic techniques that work for you and heal your mind-body connection.

Embrace the journey to a well-grounded soul – and discover how the power of somatics can transform your life.

Sources

1. Hanna, Thomas. “What Is Somatics?” Clinical Somatics | Move Feel Live Better Easier, Somatic Systems Institute, http://somatics.org/library/htl-wis1. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023. 
2. Tougaw, Jason. “What Is Somatics?” Psychology Today New Zealand, Sussex Publishers, LLC, 5 Apr. 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/the-elusive-brain/201904/what-is-somatics. 
3. “Somatic Self Care.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Health System, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/office-of-well-being/connection-support/somatic-self-care. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023. 
4. “Somatic Therapy.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, LLC, www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/somatic-therapy. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.