Somatics 101
Most of us are taught from a young age not to feel. Children are told not to cry. Adults with emotions are viewed as weak. So we’re either quickly taken out of our experience or we shove it down. Ultimately, the stress of life doesn't just go away. It can get stuck in the body. Maybe that looks like chronic tension so that the body is ready for the next dangerous thing. Or perhaps it looks like slouching to hide and stay in freeze mode.
We all have old holding patterns that return when we’re overwhelmed with life. These patterns are intelligent survival mechanisms, since they are trying to protect us from future pain. But there comes a point when these patterns can get in the way of fully experiencing life. With the proper support, we can start to unravel these defenses, cultivate a sense of trust in our own bodies, and experience more of ourselves.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented healing modality that strives to resolve symptoms of stress and trauma. It’s based on the work of Dr. Peter Levine, who asked why animals in the wild experience trauma all the time, but don’t experience symptoms of PTSD.
When animals are in danger, they experience a rush of survival energy to help them either fight or flight. If this energy is not acted on, animals will naturally release it by shaking and releasing the survival energy from the body. Once traumatized by a predator, animals learn from what happened and become more resilient.
Humans evolved with similar processes, but we’ve forgotten them. In our modern technological world, thinking is prioritized over feeling. If survival energy is not discharged, then it can continue to run on the back burner of our nervous systems, draining our energy and convincing us that danger is still near.
Somatic Experiencing helps to resolve the stuck survival energy in the body. By becoming more aware of our feelings and sensations, we can begin to align with the natural processes of the nervous system. And when the body feels safe enough, it can begin to process and integrate these old experiences. In SE, we do this in a slow, titrated way that doesn’t overwhelm the system again.
Why is this work important during these times?
We live in a time of crisis after crisis. Most people are overwhelmed because some things are just too big for us to process alone. Humans have always processed overwhelming experiences together, through grief rituals or ceremonial gatherings. Our ancestors knew that our nervous systems co-regulate in connection.
For generations, we’ve lived in oppressive systems that tell us that some bodies are more valued than others. We all carry these stories within us. And I think we unravel them by coming together.
What does a session look like?
In our session together, we’ll talk about what’s going on in your life, and explore the feelings and sensations that arise in your body as we do. We may do this seated across from one another, or while you are lying on a massage table while I offer subtle energy techniques. It might also include embodiment exercises to help you build a sense of boundaries, agency, or safety.
Along the way, we might find suppressed emotions or difficult body sensations. By being with these experiences together, they can be processed and integrated. The more we can practice being present with uncomfortable sensations, the more we gain access to joy, pleasure, and ourselves.