What Is Somatic Movement?

What is somatic movement?

If you've clicked on a video on Insight Timer entitled Somatic Movement Practice.

It's likely that you'll experience a slow,

Gentle,

Mindful movement practice.

Many movement practices are done slowly because moving at a slower pace gives us the opportunity to notice sensations,

Tension patterns,

Our breath.

Emotions and subtle changes happening within the body.

However,

I think it's important to add a caveat.

The word somatic simply means relating to the body.

Somatic movement is the practice of bringing awareness into your body and learning how to move from the inside out.

While many people define somatic movement as slow and mindful movement,

I think that definition can be a little limiting.

Practices such as shaking,

Free movement and ecstatic dance can absolutely be considered as somatic practices.

What makes a movement somatic isn't the speed of the movement,

It's the quality of attention you're bringing to it.

Semantic movement is less about what you're doing and more about how you're doing.

For example,

You could be stretching whilst scrolling on your phone.

This is not a somatic movement.

On the other hand,

You could be doing the exact same stretch whilst paying attention to your breathing.

Observing sensations in the body and noticing where you're holding tension.

Then it becomes a somatic practice.

Continuing along this note,

Activities such as CrossFit,

High Rocks,

Boot Camps or High Intensity Interval Training are not considered somatic.

In these activities,

The focus is often on performance fitness.

Speed,

Calories burned and on pushing your body.

Somatic movement shifts the focus inwards.

Instead,

We ask questions like,

What am I noticing in my body?

Can I feel this area activate?

I deal with chronic pain clients.

So in the context of my work,

I use somatic movement as a tool to reconnect with the nervous system and improve communication between the brain and the body.

We help it recognize areas of unnecessary tension and relearn more efficient ways of moving.

The benefits of somatic movement include reduced pain,

Less muscle tension,

Better mobility,

Posture,

Easier breathing,

Greater body awareness,

Improved sleep.

Increased emotional resilience.

And a calmer,

More regulated nervous system.

Many people also experience emotional releases during myosomatic practices.

This can show up as tears.

Trembling,

Feelings of warmth.

Or waves of emotion moving through the body.

These releases are often signs that the nervous system is releasing accumulated stress.

And unprocessed emotions that have been held inside the body for a long time.

When you begin living from a place of greater nervous system regulation,

The trajectory of your entire life can change.

I've seen this transformation happen in many of my students,

And I've experienced it for myself.

Thank you very much for listening.

I'm Dr.

Kim.

If you'd like to go deeper into the world of somatic practices,

I invite you to explore my courses here on Insight Timer,

Including the Nervous System Reset,

Which has helped hundreds of students build greater calm,

Resilience,

And regulation from the inside out.

You can also explore my other course called the Somatic Gut Healing Method,

Along with my ever-growing library of somatic movement practices,

Meditations,

And healing resources.

I look forward to moving with you soon.