Understanding the benefits of embodiment and somatics
The field of Embodiment Coaching and Somatic Healing is unknown to so many people that I find it important to share these words and reflections with you.
For those of you working 1:1 with me, you’ll understand a bit more of why we flow in our sessions the way that we do, and why I insist so much in bringing the body – and its messages – onboard.
Now, if you are someone curious about the coaching I offer, this will give you a good understanding about the foundation of this work.
You see, I find it relevant to state why we can no longer rely only on the mind if we are looking for deeper healing and sustainable change in our lives.
As I wrote in a previous blog post, there are innumerous historical reasons that have led us to really separate the natural body-mind integration. Things like the Enlightenment and Age of Reason in the 18th century and the over-importance given to rational thinking, the intentional suppression of bodily impulses – so reinforced by customs and religion -, our chaotic lifestyles, acute stress, overwhelm and trauma – that forces ours bodies to shut down or go numb.
It is clear to me that this split from body and mind is affecting not only our physical wellbeing, but also our emotional and spiritual one.
That is because being out of touch with our body, limits our ability to experience life, learn and evolve. It reduces our ability to connect with others and be in meaningful relationships, as well as tap into our authentic spiritual self.
The body-mind separation has resulted in a lost in our capacity to feel and sense, to tap into our instincts and deep intuition. In a way, the distance we live from our body is the distance we live from our self, from our emotional and spiritual reality.
When we live a life disconnected from the life of our body, we’re unable to feel the wholeness of ourselves, and if we are unable to feel, it’s difficult to learn, to heal, to change and transform ourselves. It also makes it really hard to feel others, to connect with love, pain, joy, hopes, fears, anger, etc. We also numb ourselves from feeling nature, animals, flowers, trees, the air, the water, the vast aliveness of Earth.
“Our lack of practice in being with the living presence of feelings, moods, emotions, spirit and energy, keeps people objectified and at a distance. The price we pay for this includes isolation, stress-related diseases, an inability to relate successfully with others, poor job performance, and a culture of resignation and dissatisfaction.” Richard Strozzi-Heckler
With all that said, I find it natural to conclude that relying only on our rational nature is no longer sufficient. To live the life that society, culture and religion assigns us is, clearly, no longer fulfilling.
In that sense, Embodiment and Somatics help us reinterpret what it means to live a meaningful, fulfilled and successful life and challenges the dominance of the mind and its rationalism.
Now, speaking particularly of the unique services that I offer, the path for body-mind integration is supported by the philosophical teachings of the Kashmiri Shaivism Tantra.
In this tradition, there is an understanding that each part of us: each thought, feeling, sensation and experience is an energy vibration resonating from the one Great Goddess. That means that each part of us is an expression of the greater consciousness, here known as the Goddess.
While many coaching modalities focus only on mindset, changing the mind, or transforming reality into the positive, the core underlying belief of my coaching training is that we are sacred beings, our body is sacred, our sexuality is sacred and our energy is sacred and through embracing and accepting reality, we become more whole and recognizing of the deeper truth of what we are.
This Tantric philosophy is also an inclusive path that says that while you realize spiritual truth, it is also natural for you to enjoy life, become healthier and to celebrate reality, so it is also built into our coaching process that the path of self-realization can also include profoundly intimate relationships, sacred sexuality and an alignment with life that allows for abundance, material success and joy. This is an invitation to thrive fully in this incarnated, complex and messy life!
In this sense, Somatic Healing is the process of integrating aspects of our being that were previously denied, suppressed or severely wounded.
And by aspects of our being, I mean the pieces of our body-mind that are not operating in harmony with the whole because those pieces have been hurt, judged, rejected, suppressed or even demonized.
Things like our authentic sexual & sensual expression, our capacity to act spontaneously, our innate trust in building meaningful relationships that allows us to genuinely love and be loved. All that and also our aliveness, enthusiasm and excitement geared to achieving our goals, working on our projects and being active in our communities – all things that can be repressed, judged and rejected in so many people.
Now, how does it all look like in practice?
The ways you experience the path of Embodiment Coaching and Somatic Healing includes:
- Befriending the body
- Regulating your nervous system
- Gentle trauma healing techniques
- Noticing and following sensations
- Giving voice to your body-mind, even when it doesn’t seem to make much sense
- Integrative process of the pieces that need it the most, that is, those pieces that are really wounded due to trauma, repression and rejection.
- Embodiment and Somatic practices like: conscious breath, movement, sounding, visualization, energy cultivation, meditation, self-pleasuring, rituals, etc.
- Learning to notice, acknowledge and honor all pieces of your body-mind that come up in our conversations and practices, allowing yourself to naturally reconnect your body to your mind and, as consequence, opening yourself up to experience inner wisdom, more vitality, aliveness, a deeper sense of safety within and your unique spiritual self.
I truly believe that this is a profound path to empowerment, agency and authentic expression, because it integrates all aspects of your being, allowing you to lead your thriving life from a place of wholeness and inner connection.
If you are curious to learn how to work with me individually, I invite you to learn more about my 1:1 coaching here. You are invited to book a free initial conversation so we can decide if this is what you are really looking for right now. I’ll be honored to talk to you.
xoxo
Marina
