Somatic Healing: How to Support Your Body When Emotions Become Physical

Somatic Healing

Mar 30

Before beginning my work as a Miami Art Therapist, I was working at an outpatient mental health clinic with clients of all ages and diagnoses. As I was working with these diverse people, I quickly noticed how many people struggled with loud physical symptoms in addition to their mental health struggles. Symptoms like stomach pain with doctors not being able to diagnose anything, heart palpitations without any medical concerns, throat tightness and discomfort and so much more.

The crazy thing about this realization was noticing that I myself had also struggled with strong physical symptoms my whole life that were never able to be diagnosed by a doctor, no matter how many different types I consulted. As a new professional I was constantly seeking out continuing education, specifically on the things I had questions on and was curious about and that is when I stumbled upon Somatic Healing.

What Is Somatic Healing?

Somatic Healing is a mindfulness based approach to healing which supports increase connection and awareness to the body. A combination of various practices and theories from body based approaches, Somatic Healing can help you release stored trauma, feel more connected to your body and understand it’s physical experiences as well as help you find tools within yourself to cope with your emotions and sensations.
Somatic Healing is a beautiful tool to help you build a sense of trust in yourself and your body while regulating your nervous system and helping you feel more grounded within yourself.

How Somatic Healing Can Help With Physical Symptoms

In a Somatic Healing session, you are invited to explore various somatic principles of which can help you with your physical symptoms:
*Grounding and Safety*: finding a sense of safety in your body is one of the fundamental steps in Somatic Healing. Using both internal and external tools, finding ways your body feels grounded and safe informs your body that it is okay to explore what is going on internally and opens the environment up to healthy curiosity. Sometimes just this step will reduce or get rid of some of the physical symptoms you may be experiencing.
*Noticing and Curiosity:* the next step to supporting your body is taking the time to simply notice: what sensations do I notice in my body? What may these sensations be trying to tell me? Our body often uses sensations as a way to call our attention.
*Resourcing and Titration:* moving slowly helps the body to maintain that sense of safety established earlier on and find that “sweet spot” to explore and heal. Resourcing involves finding tools that can help your body. in those moments when the sensations feel loud by answering the question “what do I need?”

Somatic Practices You Can Try At Home

Now, let’s find some tangible ways for you to explore the things mentioned above at home:

Grounding and Safety: When does your body feel the most safe and at ease?
- Is it when you are outside laying on the grass and reading a book? Or maybe it is when you are at home, in bed with a cup of tea. Try to think of moments when your body has felt at ease, meaning there is little to no stress or anxiety present. It does not have to be anything big, extravagant or long, just lean into what you know works for you.
Noticing and Curiosity: In this moment, how does my body feel?
- Grab some paper, pens or any art materials to have nearby as you find a comfortable spot. Then ask yourself the question above. You can either write down or draw any of the sensations you notice - use lines, shapes, colors, made up words, etc to describe your experience.
Resourcing and Titration: What does my body need?
- After noticing the sensations in the exercise above, ask yourself and your body what it needs. While it may feel silly or hard to pin point, see if there is even the smallest answer you get. It can be as simple as needing a hug that you can give yourself or ask a loved one for. Maybe it is just time to simply be - a time you can plan into your schedule for yourself. Try not to judge or overcomplicate the answer you get but rather lean into it and see how it feels.

Some or all of these things may feel challenging to do if this is your first time, that is more than okay. Keep coming back to this process and trying it. While it may take some time, it may also become easier with time.