Experiencing Soma, Connecting the Body and Mind: The word soma is Greek for “the living body”.   Somatics is a method of discovery used by bodyworkers, psychologists, and movement specialists in which the experience of living as a body is the primary focus.  Whether we like it or not, we are embodied creatures and this is how we move through the world.  Often, we speak about our experience of our body without even realizing it.  “I've got the weight of the world on my shoulders.” “What a pain in the neck!!”

While the body-mind connection is always with us, we don't always recognize this.  Difficulties arise when we think of them as two separate entities and only address one or the other.  In fact, they both need to be addressed as we move through the challenges in our life even small amounts of physical stress affect our mental health.  And our mental health also affects our physical health.  Let's look to the animal kingdom for an example.  Imagine you are a gazelle spending an afternoon in a field of grass.  You sense danger and look up to see a lion.  Immediately, your body tenses. You know you have to act.  “Fight or flight” takes over as you prepare to battle the lion or run away.  The physical reaction to your situation is intense.

In fact, both animals and humans react to stressors by preparing to fight, flee, or freeze.  In our world, we often don’t meet a lion, but we do meet plenty of stress!  While animals disperse this "stress energy" by the fighting, fleeing, or shaking it off after freezing, humans usually don’t.  So where does all that tensed energy go?   It stays in our bodies—our vessels for experiencing the world.

A Relational Approach: The majority of our life experiences happen in relationship with others.  However, developing trust and safety in a relationship can be a hard thing to do.  Most wounding takes place in relationship.  If we are to move beyond our wounds, to heal and eventually be in relationship with others, then the healing must take place in relationship.  Because of this, all aspects of a session are considered important--not just the table work, but how you and I relate and communicate.  Developing safe and healthy environment, communication and relationship is of primary importance to this work.

Relation + Somatics: Relational somatics can be used to address a variety of life issues such as current physical and emotional challenges, past trauma, addictions, feeling stuck in life and/or body.  Because of the nature of the work, Relational Somatics sessions and done in a series of sessions.  Bodywork is interwoven with breath-work and Expressive Arts.  You and I journey together to discover, acknowledge, release and integrate aspects of self so that you can lead a more authentic life.