Have you ever felt like your body and mind are disconnected? Like you're living on autopilot, going through the motions of life without really feeling present? If so, you're not alone. Many of us have experienced this sense of disconnection, and it can leave us feeling stuck and unfulfilled. But what if there was a way to reconnect with our bodies and transform our lives? That's where somatic movement therapy comes in. Through this practice, we can learn to listen to our bodies, release tension and trauma, and connect with our true selves. I’m Yasmin Lambat the founder of SomaSensing and I share this personal journey from fitness to wholeness through the power of somatic movement therapy. How it helped me find freedom from learned patterns. Whether you're struggling with chronic pain, long-held trauma, anxiety, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, somatic movement therapy offers a path to healing and transformation that is gentle yet powerful. It definitely shifted my way of being and I hope to guide you in choosing this form of healing for yourself.
Personal Journey: How Somatic Movement Therapy transformed my life
I first discovered somatic movement during my training as a Polestar Pilates teacher back in 2003. We were introduced to a new approach to Anatomy by manual therapist and body worker Thomas Myers. Sharing with us how everything connects to everything in the body through the soft tissue matter called fascia. Shifting our paradigm of the body as a whole with no separation of individual parts. We were guided through a somatic movement practice called Feldenkrais to sense this wholeness in our bodies. I had never experienced listening to the body in this way, having come from a fitness background. I had become used to being taught how to move and “isolate” or strengthen individual muscles.
Tapping into the inner wisdom of the body was a new experience for me.
Through somatic movement therapy, I learned to listen to my body in a way that I never had before. Learning to listen to body sensation instead of trying to get into the correct body position or alignment. Most of all realized that we don't need to strengthen or engage the core! I began to find ease and grace in my movement. At first through Feldenkrais and other somatic approaches that helped me connect to natural movement patterns. Then an urge to move intuitively informed by my sense of fascial anatomy.
What I never imagined, was a shift in my whole way of being. The shift from being a Gym Junkie to no longer feeling the need to exercise. Not because it was a conscious choice, the shift happened unconsciously. I followed movements that felt natural. I became curious about discovering the nature of my body’s design.
As my somatic awareness deepened, I began to make choices from my body. Choosing clothes and footwear that felt nurturing and less restricting. I became more aware of everyday noise and how my body responded to it. How it felt when I found quiet. How I felt at home in nature and spent more time outdoors. How I was able to calm my mind through my body. I learned how to appreciate and find joy in the smallest ways. Most of all I recognized that life is uncertain and how Somatic movement therapy can expand our capacity to become resilient and bounce back when life throws us off center.
Somatic movement therapy has transformed my life in ways that I never thought possible. It has helped me to connect with my true self, release habitual patterns, and live a more fulfilling life.
The Benefits of Somatic Movement Therapy
Somatic movement therapy offers a wide range of benefits for both the body and the mind. Here are just a few of the benefits that you can expect from this practice:
### 1. Improved Body Awareness
One of the primary benefits of somatic movement therapy is improved body awareness. Through this practice, you'll learn to listen to your body and become more aware of the sensations it's experiencing. This can help you to identify areas of tension and pain, and it can also help you to prevent future injuries.
### 2. Release of Stuckness and Strain
Somatic movement therapy can also help you to release stuckness and areas of tension and strain that you may be holding in your body. By listening and finding the freedom to move with ease you can find what feels good in your body. Releasing strain releases emotional patterns. Creating a pathway and space for healing.
### 3. Reduced Pain and Discomfort
If you're struggling with chronic pain or discomfort, somatic movement therapy may be able to help. By helping you to regulate your nervous system whilst you soothe and calm areas of strain. Which triggers the release of your body’s own anti-inflammatories.
### 4. Improved Emotional Wellbeing
Above all, somatic movement therapy can also improve your emotional well-being. By connecting with your body and releasing tension and trauma, you may be able to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and improve your overall mood.
The Role of Mindfulness in Somatic Movement Therapy.
Learning how to tune in to body sensations is one of the most profound mindfulness practices in somatic movement therapy. We know that Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Sometimes being present can feel uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing. A certified Somatic Movement Therapist will have been through their own somatic journey and practiced holding space. They will have learned how to co-regulate, which means creating a nurturing environment to help you feel calm and safe. Guiding you to pay attention to what’s happening in the moment without you feeling overwhelmed.
Learning how to pause and pay attention the somatic way, is a gentle way of interrupting our state of autopilot whilst helping us to come to rest and recovery.
Somatic Movement Therapy for Specific Conditions
Somatic movement therapy can be helpful for a wide range of conditions, including:
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Fibromyalgia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Stroke recovery
If you're struggling with any of these conditions, somatic movement therapy may be able to help.
The SomaSensing approach to Somatic Movement Therapy.
One of the key principles of somatic movement therapy is to help you become aware of how the body and mind are connected. Guiding you to gentle natural movements which calm and rewire your nervous system whilst releasing long-held emotional patterns of stress, strain, and chronic pain.
SomaSensing Body Unwinding is the next generation in Somatic Movement Therapy, Integrating fascia research and how our understanding of how we have the ability to recover when we tap into the intelligence of this sensory tissue. Especially how to bring the body to rest to allow natural movement patterns to emerge. Movements that help us recover intuitively.
It's simple, gentle, and available to anyone wanting to explore the healing power of somatic movement.
Conclusion: The Power of Somatic Movement Therapy in Transforming Your Life
Somatic movement therapy is a powerful practice that can help you to connect with your body and transform your life. Whether you're struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, this practice offers a path to healing and transformation.
Through somatic movement therapy, you can learn to listen to your body, release tension and trauma, and connect with your true self. By working with a licensed somatic movement therapist, you can find access to yourself in a gentle, non-judgmental way.
It may just be the missing piece you've been looking for. Start today with a free body unwinding session, or a self-paced online course, or book a private session.