What is Somatic Therapy
Somatic energy healing is a type of alternative medicine that works with the body’s own energy to heal itself. The practitioner uses visualization and imagery to channel energy into the patient’s body, which then helps to promote healing.
It is believed that imbalances in the body’s energy field can lead to physical and emotional health problems. Somatic energy healing can shift these imbalances and restore health and harmony to the body, mind, and spirit.
Holistic coaching uses hypnosis which often incorporates somatic energy healing techniques. In hypnotherapy, we use suggestion and visualization to help you relax and enter a state of trance. Once in this state, we can work with the subconscious mind to help understand or alleviate any stress that may be in the body. This is an effective way to help heal any physical or emotional pain.
Soma is a Greek word meaning “the living body” therefore Somatic work adds a significant dimension by including bodily experience as correlative experience. It is grounded in the belief that not only are thought, emotion and bodily experience inextricably linked (creating a bodymind), but also that change can be brought about in one domain of experience by mindfully accessing another.
How Does Somatic Energy Healing Work?
The human body is made up of energy. This energy flows through our bodies in pathways called meridians. When these pathways become blocked, our bodies cannot function properly. Somatic energy healing works to unblock these meridians and restore the flow of energy through the body.
Somatic energy healing is a type of alternative medicine that uses the manipulation of energy fields to heal the body. It is based on the belief that our bodies are surrounded by an invisible force field, called the aura, which contains our thoughts, emotions, and memories.
By manipulating this field, we can have an influence on our physical, mental, and emotional health. The somatic experience works with the wisdom of the body by engaging in mind-body exercises in the present moment.
There are many different techniques used in somatic energy healing. Some common types of somatic work include:
Reiki: This is a Japanese technique that involves the placement of hands on the body in order to channel energy.
Reflexology: This involves massaging or applying pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, or ears. It is believed that these pressure points correspond to different organs and systems in the body. This therapeutic touch utilizes the autonomic nervous system to heal.
Acupuncture: This is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin at specific points correlating with energy systems. It works as a treatment option for significant improvement of a wide variety of conditions both physical and mental.
Hypnotherapy: This uses relaxation and visualization techniques to induce a state of hypnosis. It is here that we can find the underlying causes of illness and gain connection to the mind. Once we know the purpose on an emotional, spiritual, and mental level, you can then experience transformation on a deep levels and experience significant improvement in your life.
Visualization: This involves picturing oneself in a state of health and wellbeing. For example, someone with cancer may visualize their tumor shrinking.
Color Healing: This uses color to promote balance and harmony in the body. Different colors are said to have different effects on the body, such as red for energy or blue.
Energy Work: This is based on the belief that our bodies are made up of energy. This energy can become imbalanced, which can lead to physical or emotional problems. Energy work aims to restore balance by realigning the body’s energy centers.
Sound Healing: This therapy uses sound to create harmony and balance in the body. Different sounds are said to have different effects, such as relaxing or energizing the body. By tapping into the frequency of vibration of the body you can make changes on a cellular level.
Crystal Healing: This uses crystals to transform the human energy field in unique and particular ways. Crystals are said to have different energies that can help with different issues, such as stress or pain relief. They are used in indigenous healing practices as energy medicine traced back to Ancient Egypt to restore balance and heal the body.
Where Does The Body Hold Trauma?
The body is a living, breathing entity that is constantly interacting with its environment. Every day, the body experiences a variety of stimuli that can cause it stress. This could be anything from emotional stressors like anxiety or depression to physical stressors like injuries or illness.
Over time, these stressors can take their toll on the body and lead to imbalances that can manifest as physical pain or discomfort, emotional distress, and even chronic illnesses. These are the results of trauma.
Scientific evidence maintains that past trauma and difficult experiences affect the structure and chemistry of the brain and can stunt its natural growth and maturation which ultimately affects the entire body. This can be from a single, traumatic event or from repeated exposure to stressful situations which can create areas of tension and physical symptoms.
When traumatic experiences are stored in the mind and body, they lead to disease and illness. This is because the chronic stress of trauma can cause imbalances in the body that lead to inflammation, a lowered immune system, high blood pressure, and other problems.
Because the mind and body are connected there is a link between what you experience in your mind and what you experience in your body. Trauma can have a large impact on our lives, but there is science showing us that this can be changed.
Research shows that biochemical and brain imaging studies show that the brain can heal and reverse this process.
In a study entitled Can Childhood Experiences Increase Breast Cancer Risk the following was discovered, “Previous research by CHDS found that the trauma of having one or both parents die does impact breast density, risk for breast cancer, and risk for especially aggressive types of breast cancer.”
Another study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, showed the strong link between childhood abuse and household dysfunction, being the leading causes of death in adults. This was ground-breaking research, which demonstrated a high link between the two. Cancer is at the top of the list among these major causes of death, furthering the insight that disease can and will manifest in the body negatively if it is not healed.
Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACE, can play a significant role in the development of chronic disease later on in life. While we can not prevent the experiences that happened in the past, we can transform the way our body is holding onto them through processes such as somatic healing techniques.
How Do you Release Trauma Trapped In The Body?
According to Psychology Today, “Somatic therapy emphasizes helping patients develop resources within themselves in order to self-regulate their emotions, or to move out of the fight/flight/freeze response and into a higher-functioning mode where they can think more clearly. “
In other words, the goal of somatic work is to assist individuals in becoming more aware of the mind-body connection and using specific interventions to release tension, anger, frustration, and any other emotions that may be stored in the body as a result of past negative experiences, often stemming from childhood.
This can be beneficial for those who have experienced trauma, as it can help to free them from what is preventing them from fully engaging in their lives and release them from the symptoms of dis-ease. It can also be helpful for those who feel disconnected from how they want to live and what they are experiencing in their body.
By utilizing the tools of somatic therapies you can access the root cause of trauma symptoms and release the emotions that got stuck in the body during that time. When it is revealed, it can be healed. When you access these memories and reimagine the way they felt you can change the way you feel in your body now.
There are a variety of techniques that may be used in somatic energy healing, and are most impactful for change they include but are not limited to:
- Breathwork
- Body movement/dance
- Yoga
- Visualizations
- Grounding Exercises
- Awareness of Body Sensations and Physical Sensations
What Happens In A Somatic Energy Healing Experience?
During a somatic energy healing experience, you will be in control of your entire journey. The first step is to find a practitioner and take time to discuss from your own experience what is going on in your world and what you would like to work on. In the first session you will be invited to get comfortable and relaxed.
We will start with breathing exercises and a guided meditation to allow your subconscious mind to release and let go. We will then begin your personalized session by entering into your inner world. It is here that we can use visualization and other somatic techniques to shift energy and patterns that represent what it is you would like to change or release.
You will be supported and safe during the entire process and will notice yourself begin to feel lighter as you engage in this transformational process. Once the session concludes you will remember everything that has happened. You will also start to see shifts within your mind and body begin to take place.
What Are Somatic Healing Techniques?
Different somatic healing techniques exist and are used to help people heal. Somatic energy healing is one technique that can be used. This type of healing focuses on using the body’s energy to promote healing. Other types of somatic healing techniques include visualization, color healing, energy work, and hypnotherapy.
Somatic energy healing is based on the belief that the human body is made up of energy. This energy flows through the body and helps to keep us healthy. When this energy is blocked or not flowing properly, it can lead to illness or disease.
Through somatic healing, we can enter into the places that are blocked and stuck and clear them through energy. By focusing on those places.
What Does A Somatic Healer Do?
Somatic healers believe that there can be quicker access to deep-rooted emotional issues that are not necessarily addressed through traditional talk therapies. This is because they are located deeper in the body and by paying attention to the communication of the body we can reveal and heal these areas.
Past trauma and other psychological concerns can affect the autonomic nervous system and create imbalances in the body that can manifest as pain, poor posture, and other physical issues. Somatic Healers use a variety of techniques to help their clients regulate their nervous system and release these patterns of imbalance.
This type of energy healing focuses on bringing balance to the mind and body by working with the energy channels of the body. It is a holistic approach that views the individual as a whole being made up of interconnected parts.
Somatic energy healing can be used to address physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual concerns. During a session you will be more conscious of these bodily sensations and utilize techniques to release any tension the body is retaining. Some types of tools that are used are breathing exercises, energy release, visualization, sensation awareness, color healing, and grounding exercises.
How Is Somatic Healing Helpful?
Somatic energy work is a holistic therapeutic approach that incorporates a person’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions in the healing process.
It is from this integrated space that you can experience a greater sense of self-awareness and connection to yourself and all that surrounds you. When you tap into this knowingness you will transform the energy that resides within you by reducing stress and exploring any parts of your body that are stuck and holding onto energy that no longer serves a purpose in your life. It is often this energy that is contributing to symptoms of disease or incongruence in your life.
A quote from Bessel Van Der Kolk further explains why accessing trapped energy and releasing it can be effective and helpful to restoring the body back to health.
“Our gut feelings signal what is safe, life-sustaining, or threatening, even if we cannot quite explain why we feel a particular way. Our sensory interiority continuously sends us subtle messages about the needs of our organism. Gut feelings also help us to evaluate what is going on around us. They warn us that the guy who is approaching feels creepy, but they also convey that a room with western exposure surrounds makes us feel serene. If you have a comfortable connection with your inner sensations—if you can trust them to give you accurate information—you will feel in charge of your body, your feelings, and yourself.”
When we get back to our bodies, to our felt sense, we are home. We can learn to connect to ourselves and have that always accessible to us. We can let go of the energy of the past that is causing us disease and replace it with harmony and balance in our body, mind, and spirit.
What Can Somatic Healing Help With?
There are many different types of somatic therapies, but they all share a common goal: to help people heal from the inside out.
Somatic therapies can help people with a wide range of issues, including:
- Chronic pain
- Stress and anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- ADD/ADHD
- Eating disorders
- Grief/loss
Any type of issue that is affecting your mind, body, and spirit can be helped by somatic energy healing.
Contact Me Today To Schedule A Somatic Healing Experience
Holistic wellness coaching includes somatic therapies that work to improve both the mind, body, and spirit. Please contact me to set up a session so that you can experience the benefits of this incredible modality.
Call me at 305-336-4685 or email me. I look forward to speaking with you!
