A Somatic Way of Life
The Transformative Power of Somatic Practices in Modern Life - By Adeola Obasa
Reading time: 4 minutes
In the modern rush of our daily lives, where the boundary between personal and professional blurs, it's easy to lose touch with the most important connection we have: the one with ourselves. This disconnection can manifest as stress, burnout, and a host of physical ailments, signaling a deep need for a practice that not only addresses our physical well-being but also nurtures our inner self.
Somatic practices* a term that has gained buzz for its profound impact on health, offers a powerful solution. Rooted in the principle that the body and mind are not separate entities but deeply interconnected, somatic practices involve slow, mindful movements that help release tension, trauma, and ingrained patterns of behavior that no longer serve us. This approach is not just about physical health; it's a journey towards cultivating inner self-compassion, which inevitably leads to a more compassionate outlook towards others and the world around us.
Over the last decade, my own journey into somatic practices, supplemented by extensive research and teachings, has revealed a transformative truth now being studied and supported by clinical and medical research: these practices can significantly improve our health. They hold the potential not just for alleviating symptoms, but also the potential to prevent and possibly cure many conditions.
By engaging in small, gentle movements, we can begin to re-educate our brains and muscles to function more optimally, releasing the invisible burdens we carry in our bodies. This process doesn't just heal us physically; it fosters a deep, introspective understanding of our needs, desires, and the subtle signals our bodies send us. This awareness becomes a guiding light, directing us towards healthier choices, not just in our diet, but in our activities, relationships, and overall lifestyle, thereby preventing the insidious onset of burnout and disease.
In our complex, modern societies, we often override our own natural bodily cues and signals, trapping our trauma and tension within the body and creating rigidity in our fascia, organs and tissues.
The body knows how to heal itself... if we allow it.
This unresolved tension can emerge as stress, anxiety, or other mental and serious physical health problems. Somatic work can help create fluidity in the body and release trapped energy bringing us back into our natural health and equilibrium.
As a further bonus, this enhanced body awareness can lead to healthier habits, as it encourages attunement to a variety of other needs in the body such as rest, nourishment, movement, and the right connections, while steering us away from negative indulgences and influences.
The beauty of somatic practices lies in their simplicity and their profound impact on our overall well-being on an internal level. By starting with ourselves, we engage in a ripple effect, where the buildup of inner self-compassion leads to outer self-compassion, enriching our connections with others and contributing to the collective wellness of our community.
Somatic practices go beyond yoga. Various activities can connect bring us into a deeper more profound state of improved interoception. Discover new practices to incorporate into your life that enable you to deeply engage with yourself through a mind-body somatic connection. Whether it's yoga, cooking, dancing spending time in nature, or creative pursuits, this journey of self-discovery and healing not only benefits us individually but extends outward, fostering a community where compassion, understanding, and support thrive.
So, the next time you engage in any activity, approach it with a somatic perspective, take time to listen to your yourself and notice how it feels in your body. Get specific as you explore the feelings within noticing where the ways in which it brings you joy and comfort, moving with curiosity and without judgment towards a deeper connection and confidence within yourself and, by extension, with the world around you.
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Adeola Obasa
Adeola Obasa is a 500 hr Certified Yoga Instructor, Wellness Specialist and Reiki Master passionate about bringing gentle forms of yoga and meditation to populations of people who may have found yoga as inaccessible to them. She also specializes in Yoga For Digestive Health to combat IBS and other digestive issues and diseases.
