What is Somatic Care?
“Somatic embodiment is a way of being in an active reciprocal relationship with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us.” -Abigail Rose Clarke, Returning Home to Our Bodies
I have been a professional bodyworker since 2011, but my work has always been about more than my clients’ bodies. In addition to physical touch I provide a supportive space for a client to explore and improve the internal relationship between their body, mind, and whole self.
Somatic work is about acknowledging, embracing, and accommodating the felt and lived experience of the body. Seeing the body as an ally, a source of information and guidance. When people feel this inner connection, a deeper sense of security allows them to be more discerning about what they are giving and what they’re receiving, which in turn allows them to act out of love and cooperation, rather than fear and self-protection. In other words, authentic and secure relationship with oneself leads to authentic and secure relationship with others. Other positive outcomes may include a deeper understanding of one’s reactions and responses to life circumstances, better nervous system regulation, or more ease and restfulness within.
Many people have spent a lifetime in conflict with their bodies, denying, ignoring, or hating the physical aspect of themselves. Things as simple as delaying a meal despite a grumbling stomach point to a denial of the body’s importance. But our bodies are an enormous part of our identities, our experiences, and our lives. With somatic care, a client can reclaim parts of themselves they have neglected for too long, over time leading to a more healthy and healing relationship to themself.
Somatic care is client-led work. It is slow work, self-paced, with no timeline or guidebook. The end goal is entirely personal. Somatic sessions may include such tools as guided meditation, breathwork, intentional safe touch, or mindful movement. Clients may also choose – exclusively or occasionally – to have simple bodywork sessions utilizing modalities such as myofascial release, trigger point work, and relaxation techniques.
Our bodies hold wisdom, buried beneath unmet needs and internal conflict. When we care deeply for our bodies, we can begin to better understand ourselves and our world. The embodied self is waiting to be found. Let’s explore together.
-Becky Phelan, LMT
Soma Soma 