Somatics & Body-Centered Healing

The Shift

Somatics & Body‑Centered Healing

In 1637, philosopher René Descartes set out to strip away all doubt and find an indisputable foundation for knowledge.

His excavation led to a now-iconic phrase: "Cogito, ergo sum"—"I think, therefore I am."

A deceptively simple idea became the cornerstone of what's now known as the Cartesian split, a worldview that treats mind and body as two distinct substances that merely interact.

This dualism reshaped Western thought in profound ways. Medicine began treating bodies like machines, isolating symptoms without considering lived experience. Psychology prioritized cognition and talk therapy while dismissing the body's role in emotional life. Physical sensations and responses were often deemed secondary, or worse, irrational.

But the tide is turning.

Somatic therapies are gaining mainstream traction. The hashtag #somatictherapy has amassed over 112 million TikTok views. People are questioning whether merely talking about a problem can heal what lives in the body. And they're right to question it.

The Body as Witness

Somatic psychology insists that the body is not a passive container for the mind. The mind lives in the flesh.

Healing, therefore, cannot be a solely intellectual pursuit. It has to be an embodied experience.

The core finding is that trauma, stress, and unresolved emotions live in the body, stored as muscle tension, restricted breathing patterns, defensive postures, and chronic pain.

Psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich called this phenomenon "muscular armoring"—unconscious physical defenses that form to shield us from feeling too much, or from feeling at all. 

That chronically tight jaw might hold unexpressed childhood anger. The perpetually knotted stomach could carry deep shame. Your stiff neck and shoulders might indicate feeling burdened and overly responsible. 

I know, for some of you reading this, it might sound like a stretch, or even psycho-babble pandering. But if pain keeps resurfacing, whether through digestion issues, sleep disturbances, recurring pain, or chronic illness, it might be worth considering what’s underneath.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Validation

I’ve always appreciated how some traditional cultures approach these sensations, not as meaningless symptoms to suppress, but as signals to explore.

Indigenous, Eastern, and ancient traditions never accepted this artificial divide. They always understood body, mind, and spirit as one interconnected whole. Now neuroscience and trauma research are catching up, reuniting what was severed centuries ago.

In Ayurveda, digestion isn't limited to food, it encompasses thoughts, emotions, and experiences. When these aren't fully processed, they become what's known as Ama, a kind of toxic residue that accumulates in the body and can manifest as fatigue, tension, or illness. Pain shows up in the places where something emotional or psychological remains "undigested."

Many shamanic traditions view pain as a messenger carrying spiritual guidance or calling attention to what needs healing. Even if this language doesn't resonate with you, consider pain as the part of yourself that hasn't found its voice. It speaks through the body to get your attention—an invitation into deeper self-awareness.

Modern research validates these ancient insights. Studies in neuroscience show that emotional memories are stored not just in the brain but throughout the nervous system. Trauma or other painful experiences literally reshape how we hold ourselves, breathe, and move through the world. 

Beginning the Conversation

Antonio Damasio, a neuroscientist and professor, significantly reshaped our understanding of the relationship between emotion, decision-making, and the brain.

In his book Descartes' Error (1994), Damasio introduced the Somatic Marker Hypothesis, arguing that emotions are not only inseparable from rationality but are essential to effective decision-making. 

According to this theory, somatic markers are bodily sensations tied to emotional experiences, and they help individuals quickly evaluate options and guide behavior based on past outcomes. 

Adaptive somatic markers are emotional cues that help us make quick, effective decisions by signaling potential harm or reward based on past experiences. For example, a gut feeling of unease around a manipulative person may prompt us to avoid them, a helpful, reality-based reaction that enhances judgment and efficiency.

Maladaptive somatic markers, on the other hand, stem from outdated or misinterpreted experiences. These can lead to poor decisions by triggering fear or avoidance where no real threat exists. For instance, someone betrayed in a past relationship may feel anxious or distrustful in a new, healthy one. Though the bodily response is real, it reflects old trauma, not present danger, ultimately hindering intimacy and reinforcing emotional barriers.

Distinguishing between adaptive and maladaptive somatic markers requires conscious self-reflection and a willingness to question internal signals.

Use discomfort as a portal rather than something to immediately escape or medicate away.

Start small by tuning into subtle sensations: tiny twitches, shifts in breath, changes in temperature, or areas of tightness you normally ignore. These delicate signals often reveal hidden layers beneath conscious awareness.

Try focusing on a single, small sensation for just a few moments. Observe it carefully, describe it internally without judgment, and breathe gently into that area.

This mindful attention allows you to explore the body's messages without overwhelming your nervous system, laying the groundwork for deeper change over time.

You can pair this slow awareness with inquiry: 

• Is this feeling based on actual risk or outdated fear?

• Have past decisions guided by this sensation turned out well or poorly?

• What evidence supports or contradicts these sensations?

• If this tension could speak, what would it say? 

• What does it need from me?

• What is it trying to protect?

The goal isn't to interpret every ache as profound emotional symbolism, but to develop a more integrated relationship with ourselves. To recognize that healing happens not just in our thoughts, but in how we breathe, how we stand, how we hold tension, and how we release it.

The Essentials

Your Weekly Toolkit

POSTURE OF NEUTRALLITY

Hedi Shah is a bodyworker, mindfulness teacher, and embodiment coach based in Cumbria, UK. In Posture of Neutrality, Hedi Shah challenges the performative cues we’re often taught about posture—like “shoulders back, chest up”—and invites a deeper, more embodied approach. She reframes neutrality not as stiffness or detachment, but as a state of relaxed presence, where the body feels supported rather than forced. She explores questions like: Where do I feel most relaxed right now?

LEARN MORE →

SOMATIC PRACTICE FOR TRAUMA/STRESS RELEASE

Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and somatic psychotherapist who specializes in trauma recovery, stress reduction, and mindfulness-based body practices. In this video, she guides viewers through a gentle, 13‑minute somatic practice aimed at helping the nervous system release stored tension and trauma.

LEARN MORE →

16 SESSIONS OF SOMATIC PRACTICES (FOR FREE!)

Johns Hopkins Medicine's Somatic Full Practice series offers a comprehensive, multi-session guide to somatic self-care, supporting physical and mental well-being through mindful, body-centered movement. Led by movement expert Jen Graham, the series includes a range of practices—from calming body scans and conscious breathing to activating exercises like ideokinesis, trigger-point release, and full-body stretches, spread across 16 sessions.

LEARN MORE →

SOMATIC EXERCISES FOR DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

A 40-second video by Liz Tenuto that pairs emotions with movement options. Tenuto is a somatic exercise specialist based in Los Angeles. With a degree in psychology from UCSB and a background in Pilates, Feldenkrais, and trauma-informed movement, she’s been teaching somatic practices for over 15 years.

LEARN MORE →