Explorations, change, patterns
A somatic therapy practice is one where the notion of “patterning,” and of re-patterning are woven into the explorations. We don’t have to be stuck, we can learn the principles of how change happens. How we move, how we think, emotional struggles, relationship dynamics, career issues, are all subject to change if we understand the principles underlying how we organize ourselves in the world. There are reasons that we hold ourselves in a particular posture, reasons that we protect ourselves from failure, or even, success. Those reasons are found in the deeper patterns that underlie our conscious mind.
When we dive into Somatic experience we are swimming in the unconscious. Any somatic discipline will help you to learn to navigate the deep waters of your unconscious. This is theraputic, but also richly creative. Some somatic practices incorporate expressive arts as tools to process what arises from the depths of the “skinesphere,” or world underneath your skin. Some teachers and therapists are more oriented towards therapy whereas others specialize in the arts or movement education. If you are interested in somatics, take the time to explore the various disciples and find a practitioner that feels right to you.
Where do somatics apply? Who benefits?
Somatic practices are applied to performance and expressive arts, sport performance, psychotherapy, Infant movement development, pregnancy, post-partum care, parenting, brain and neurological injury recovery, other kinds of injury recovery, mobility issues, aging, chronic pain, eating disorders, relationship issues, emotional challenges etc…Anyone with curiosity to explore or a need for help with a difficult issue can benefit from somatic practices.
Somatic practices facilitate self-awareness, mindfulness, and communication with your inner self. You can gain access to deeply-held physical, emotional, and psychological information. Once you “meet” and establish communication with these different aspects of yourself, change is natural and effortless. These practices are empowering. They teach you to know yourself better and have direct access to the means by which we learn and cultivate profound lifelong change.