As I prepare for two upcoming workshops this week, Restoke Somatic Moving and an Introduction to Somatic Movement for a Global Wellness day in Hanley town centre . I have been pondering the answer to the above question...what is Somatic Practice and how do I make an easily understandable response in words alone. Due to the experiential and varied nature of Somatic work it is often hard to put into words. I have been tackling this challenge since I began an MA in Somatic Practice over 10 year ago. I could write you a 10,000 word thesis or run a multitude of workshops, but whenever I am faced with the question of what it is that I do or what is Somatic Practice...words often elude me.
Perhaps it is the accompanying thought that I need to justify my practice as a valid thing that gets in the way? In a world where 'feeling and intuition' are viewed as the poor sisters to 'thinking and logic' the pressure to frame my answer in just the right way feels stifling. Fear of not wanting to sound too woo-woo, vague or crazy bump up against an ancient defiance to define this beautiful work.
For those of you who are paying very close attention to detail here might see a theme beginning to emerge...opposition! Rather than allowing battle to commence between the two apparently opposite perspectives, a solution could be to include both, perhaps even merge them together to create something new (Carl Jung would be proud of me). What happens if I bring my feeling, intuition, thinking and logic together to answer the question? Here goes....
Somatic Practice is any activity which allows for the conscious interplay between movement and imagination. It awakens awareness of the union of body and mind, matter and spirit; opening the door to an increased capacity to experience life more fully and creatively.
Move your body, notice sensations, let thinking take a rest, listen to what the body, the heart have to say, let them be your guide for a while, trust the movement, follow it, dance like someone who loves you dearly is watching and cheering you on....
I wrote the latter in under a minute and took a good half hour to write the first one!!! Which one resonates more fully with you? Does reading both bring more understanding?
Sometimes there are voices and movements within us that want to be seen but we have not allowed them for all sorts of reasons. Somatic Practice for me, is about creating a space to allow those voices and movements expression and to witness the glory of it all with compassionate presence.
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