‘Mr Duffy lives a short distance from his body .’
James Joyce
I’m sure many of us have felt a little like Mr Duffy at some point. Modern life has pushed us to live in fragmented states, the ‘head’ dominating our experience and choices – often at the expense of the body and heart. What tends to emerge from this fragmentation is a deepening sense of personal isolation, and a society with dwindling relational skills. Somatics is a powerful antidote to this.Â
Somatics is an approach to learning, growth, and transformation that views the body-mind-spirit holistically. Its origin is from the Greek word soma, which translates loosely to ‘the living body in its wholeness’. In ancient Greek culture, Soma reflected the integration of a ‘good citizen’ in all its aspects: physical fitness, emotional balance, mental acuity, and spiritual or moral integrity. Somatics is not simply something that is done, but rather, it is a way of being with our human fullness.Â
The Somatic approach found its modern rebirth in the health-care and well-being movement some decades ago. With convincing results and the intuitive validity of this perspective, Somatics is now finding its place and popularity in the field of personal and leadership transformation.Â
Somatic Coaching – a unique approachÂ
Most conventional coaching is primarily conceptual and linguistic in nature. This can be highly effective to bring insight and understanding. Yet, without bringing an awareness of the body into a transformation process, lasting shifts can fall short. Memories, belief systems, and trauma predominately live and are recorded in the physical body, while the brain (or mind) acts as the translator and interpreter. Tuning in to both body and mind is key for real change to occur.Â
Thus, Somatic coaching aims to awaken and integrate both conceptual and embodied awareness in the change process.Â
Blended with conversation and compassionate cognitive enquiry, a somatic coaching journey will usually incorporate the following elements:Â
Somatic (embodied) awareness – to bring presence and to hold the process from a place of centre
Somatic opening and experiencing – to uncover and release stuckness and limitation with sensation and insightÂ
Somatic practices – to ground the transformation process in everyday life in a relevant way.
The Somatic journey focuses on context rather than content, and doesn’t rely solely on re-living/re-telling personal narrative.
