SOMATIC HEALING: WHAT IT is AND why it works
In my work with Lila Movement I use the “Somatic Activated Healing (SAH)” method which is a specific form of somatic healing created by my teacher Sah D’Simone. It is a sacred, heart-softening, embodiment practice connecting us to the tender places inside that we have avoided by unconsciously creating a life of distraction so we don’t have to feel the discomfort of being with challenging emotions.
Often we try to keep it all together by being resilient and strong as life challenges arise, but at some point we realize we just can’t hold it all anymore. We need a safe space to let go and release.
With consistency, this practice slowly strips away the armor guarding our hearts. As we learn how to come back into our bodies to feel and move with painful suppressed emotions, we gain access to more pleasure, and a greater experience of love, joy, purpose, forgiveness, trust. It is a home coming, a way of guiding us back to ourselves.
Somatic Activated Healing (SAH) has opened and softened my heart, it has connected me back to my femininity and sensuality, allowing me to operate in a much healthier balance between my feminine and masculine energies. This practice has created a beautiful space for me to be with, and energetically move the heavy and painful emotions that have come with profound loss.
SAH has been my lifeline through my journey with grief. When I felt like I had completely lost myself, I had this practice to remind how to come back into my body and be here. To feel what my body was asking me to feel in order to fully process the horrific experience of losing my husband. At times during the first year after Chris passed, I found myself disassociating from this human experience, I was not fully here and really struggling to relate to the world around me.
Over time, I have been able to experience a deep connection to myself and my inner knowing, I am able to hold both the immense heartache of longing for him while also using this experience to create meaning and purpose for my life. It truly has been the single most impactful modality for my healing, teaching me to surrender to that which I cannot control, and to trust the timing and unfolding of this life.
In order to provide accurate definitions and a thorough explanation, I have utilized AI overview via Google to bring you the following two sections.
WHAT IS SOMATIC HEALING?
Somatic healing is a holistic approach to mental and emotional well-being that uses the body to process and release trauma, stress, and other emotional pain. It operates on the principle that emotions and experiences are stored in the body and can manifest physically, and it uses techniques like movement, breathwork, and mindfulness to build self-awareness and help the nervous system return to a state of balance.
Key principles of somatic healing
• Mind-body connection: It is built on the understanding that the mind and body are interconnected and that physical sensations are a gateway to understanding emotional states and trauma.
• Body as a resource: It views the body as a valuable source of wisdom, with physical cues like posture, gestures, and movements offering insights into one's internal experience.
• "Bottom-up" approach: Unlike traditional talk therapy, which often focuses on the mind, somatic healing is considered a "bottom-up" approach that starts with physical sensations to work through issues stored in the body.
• Trauma release: It helps to release the physical tension and energy associated with traumatic or stressful events that can become "stuck" in the body.
• Nervous system regulation: A core goal is to help regulate the body's stress response, teaching individuals how to downregulate their nervous system and improve their ability to cope with future stressors.
WHY SOMATIC HEALING WORKS
Somatic healing works by re-engaging our connection to the body to feel and release trauma and tension held inside. This approach addresses how stressful or traumatic experiences can get "stuck" in the body, impacting the nervous system and physical/emotional well-being, and uses body-centered techniques to complete the body's natural stress response cycle. By helping the nervous system regulate itself, somatic healing can reduce chronic stress, anxiety, and physical discomfort.
How it addresses trauma and stress
• Completing the stress response: When trauma occurs, the body's natural "fight or flight" response may be interrupted, leaving a person in a heightened state of alert. Somatic healing helps the body complete this response by gently discharging the stored energy and tension through movement and awareness.
• Releasing tension: Chronic stress causes the nervous system to remain in an "on" state, leading to physical and emotional tension. Techniques like mindful breath, shaking, somatic postures and free flow movements help the body release this stored energy and reset the stress response.
• Improving body awareness: Somatic practices, such as body scanning and mindful movement, enhance your awareness of internal bodily sensations and your body's position in space. This helps you identify where you are holding tension and understand your body's signals more clearly.
“The past has left us with an emotional residue in the body, somatic activated healing is about letting go of that emotional residue”
How can you learn more about somatic activated healing?
Over the next 8 weeks (through the end of 2025) I am offering a free 20 minute somatic activated healing practice every week over zoom. If you would like to join me, please connect with me here: contact me and I would love to send you an invite to my next offering.
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With so much love, LL