Modern wellness embodies a comprehensive perspective on health and vitality, addressing not only physical fitness but also mental and emotional well-being. It represents a proactive approach to self-care that embraces a wide range of practices and modalities, from nutrition and exercise to mindfulness and stress management. Modern wellness emphasizes the importance of holistic well-being, recognizing the interconnection between mind, body, and spirit.
In our fast-paced modern world, many of us find ourselves disconnected from our own bodies, operating on autopilot as we navigate the demands of daily life. From the pressures of work/life to the distractions of technology, it’s easy to lose touch with our physical sensations, emotional needs, and inner wisdom. Yet, within each of us lies a profound potential for healing, resilience, and well-being – a potential that can be unlocked through somatic practices and conscious embodiment.
From an early age, we are often taught to prioritize productivity, achievement, and external validation over our own internal experiences. This societal conditioning trains us to disconnect from our bodies, our interaction centered around molding, shaping, and judging according to external standards. However, this disconnection comes at a cost – leaving us feeling fragmented, disempowered, and out of touch with our true selves. The larger cost is our physical and mental health. According to the Global Wellness Institute (2023), the global wellness economy has reached $5.6 trillion, with physical activity taking $976 billion of that. Yet, millions of people worldwide have mental health conditions and an estimated one in four people globally will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. Nearly half (approximately 45%, or 133 million) of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease and the number is growing.
Despite the massive investments in the wellness industry, marketing often focuses on superficial solutions rather than addressing the deeper issues that underlie our physical and mental health. This highlights the importance of challenging societal narratives and redefining our understanding of wellness to prioritize holistic well-being over external validation. This also includes understanding the intersection of ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and SDOH (Social Determinants of Health) and health and wellness. This article doesn’t focus on these but I have included links at the bottom to learn more.
Somatic and Embodiment practices create a true path to wellness
What if we could reclaim our bodies as our own, inhabiting them fully and lovingly, without the need to earn acceptance through constant fixing or improvement? What if we could shift our perspective from seeing our bodies as projects to be perfected, to embracing them as sacred homes to be cherished and nurtured?
Somatic practices facilitate a deeper understanding of our bodies, minds, and emotions, nurturing connection and a sense of wholeness within ourselves. Rather than viewing ourselves through a deficit model – focusing on what is lacking or broken – somatic practices offer a strength-based lens, emphasizing our inherent resilience, wisdom, and capacity for growth. Embodiment involves experiencing oneself directly, free from the constant narrative or interpretation of our mental chatter. It shifts the focus from doing mind to being body. Though, this language may be neglected in our current value system of brain over body, it remains within reach through practice.
What are Somatic practices?
Before delving deeper into the benefits of somatic practices, it’s essential to explore its rich history and diverse scope of application. The development and teaching of somatic principles and disciplines have been significantly influenced by global perspectives and practices. Drawing from diverse cultural traditions, including African, Asian, Indian, and indigenous wisdom, somatics incorporates a rich tapestry of techniques, methodologies, and philosophies. Acknowledging the global influences shaping somatic principles is a vital shift towards a commitment to cultural diversity and equity within the field. By centering diverse cultural traditions and perspectives, somatic studies facilitate cross-cultural understanding and promote social justice, ensuring that healing practices resonate with and serve the needs of individuals from all backgrounds.
Somatics is a field within bodywork and movement studies. It is not one single thing although the overarching principle is the focus of our inner experience. Yoga when taught/practiced from a holistic lens rather than performative is one of the oldest somatic practices.
Examples of Somatic practices
Somatic techniques are incorporated into bodywork, expressive arts, psychotherapy and social justice work.
Somatic bodywork examples
Somatic Bodywork includes Ideokinesis, Alexander Technique®, Feldenkrais®, Hanna Somatic Education®. Thomas Hanna is recognized as coining the term “somatic education” in the 1970’s. Expressive arts include Expressive Arts Therapy and Dance Movement Therapy.
Somatic psychotherapy examples
The field of somatic psychotherapy includes Somatic Experiencing®, Psycho-Physical Therapy®, Somatic Psychotherapy, Hakomi® Therapy, and EMDR.
Somatics in social justice
Social Justice work incorporating somatics and embodiment practices emphasize the political nature of our bodies and the impact of oppression on our health and wellness. Resmaa Menakem, Prentiss Hemphill, Rae Johnson, Staci Haines, Rev. angel Kyodo Williams, Dr. Kesha Fikes, are just a few of the many incredible people in the embodied social justice field.
My area of study/practice is BMC® Body Mind Centering. I have been studying with my teacher Lisa Clark and her teacher and developer of BMC® Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen since 2016. This explanation is directly from the BMC website.
Somatics as part of the embodied approach to movement, body and consciousness
“Body-Mind Centering® (BMC®) is an integrated and embodied approach to movement, the body and consciousness. Developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, it is an experiential study based on the embodiment and application of anatomical, physiological, psychophysical and developmental principles, utilizing movement, touch, voice and mind. Its uniqueness lies in the specificity with which each of the body systems can be personally embodied and integrated, the fundamental groundwork of developmental re-patterning, and the utilization of a body-based language to describe movement and body-mind relationships.”
The benefits of Somatic practice
Through somatic exploration, we learn to listen to the subtle language of our bodies, tuning into sensations, feelings, and intuitive impulses that may have long been ignored or suppressed. We discover that our bodies hold a wealth of wisdom – guiding us towards greater alignment, balance, and vitality when we learn to trust and honor their messages.
Moreover, by embracing a somatic approach to wellness, we cultivate qualities of compassion, curiosity, and courage– learning to meet ourselves exactly where we are, with kindness and acceptance. Rather than striving to overcome or transcend our perceived limitations, we learn to befriend them, recognizing them as valuable teachers on the path to wholeness.
In essence, somatic practices offer us a pathway home – a journey of self-discovery and self-compassion that leads us back to ourselves, reclaiming our bodies as sacred vessels of healing, wisdom, and love. As we learn to embody ourselves fully, we not only transform our relationship with our own bodies but also with the world around us – cultivating a deeper sense of connection, presence, and authenticity with self, other, and environment.
Somatic practices align closely with the principles of Pilates
Incorporating somatic movement education into your Pilates practice can offer numerous benefits for mental health and overall well-being. Somatic movement prioritizes enhancing body awareness, leading to the recognition of habitual motor patterns stored within the nervous system and tissues. Through slowed mindful attention to bodily sensations and movements, individuals become more attuned to their unique patterns, and movement habits. This heightened interoceptive awareness lays the foundation for exploring and transforming these patterns, promoting greater ease, efficient movement and injury prevention.
Somatic movement education also serves as a valuable tool in regulating the nervous system, offering relief to individuals grappling with anxiety, depression, pain, and chronic stress. These are staggering global statistics: approximately 284 million people suffer from anxiety disorders, and 264 million from depressive disorders. Additionally, it has been estimated that 1 in 5 adults suffer from pain, and another 1 in 10 adults are diagnosed with chronic pain each year. Integrating somatic practices into wellness routines holds immense promise for improving mental health outcomes worldwide.
Joseph Pilates advocated for a comprehensive approach to physical well-being, as evidenced in his book “Return to Life.” He emphasized the importance of achieving uniform development of the body, addressing not only physical fitness but also mental and emotional aspects. His teachings encompassed practices to develop self-awareness, alleviate nervousness in the body, and promote optimal breathing. He recognized the significance of play, nutritious food, sleep, and fresh air. These principles align closely with somatic and holistic approaches, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit in fostering overall well-being. As Pilates gains momentum in the fitness industry, there’s a need for conversations about maintaining its foundational principles of holistic movement and mindfulness. Amidst the pressures of an externally driven fitness landscape, the challenge lies in preserving the essence of Pilates while adapting to the evolving demands of the industry. It’s the age-old balancing act of meeting people’s desires while also providing what they truly need for their well-being.
While Pilates requires physical engagement for skill refinement and functions as experiential learning, traditional teaching often fosters passivity through the model of “teacher as expert”. Somatic practices prioritize personal experience, nurturing profound self-awareness and empowerment. By infusing Pilates instruction with somatic principles, environments become more inclusive and empowering, strengthening the core of Pilates exercises.
As we learn more about our bio-intelligent body we can still deeply appreciate Joe’s famous quote “Pilates is gaining the mastery of your mind over the complete control over your body.” But, we can also know that our body has a lot to say to our brain. For example, your heart sends more information to the brain than vice versa, and your guts are known as your “Second Brain”. This means we need to listen to our body. This listening involves slowing down and moving inwards.
Somatic movement education creates a conscious embodiment
I’ve often heard the phrase, “If I have a body, I’m already embodied,” used to downplay the importance of somatic practices in fitness. While there’s some truth to this, somatic movement education focuses on conscious embodiment. Without awareness or a compassionate connection to ourselves, we risk reinforcing unconscious value systems around our bodies. If we aspire for genuine inclusivity in health and wellness, in Pilates, a holistic, trauma-informed approach is imperative, and somatic movement practices are integral to facilitating this evolution. I recently filmed “The HeART of Embodied Teaching: A Holistic and Trauma-Informed Approach for Movement Teachers” with Fusion Pilates EDU. This workshop delves into this paradigm shift towards holistic embodied teaching through the biopsychosocial lens. Its companion, “Nurture Your Nature: Somatic Self-Care for Movement Teachers,” offers a wealth of practices designed for teachers to receive support and nurture themselves. The reality of burnout and compassion fatigue in the field of teaching highlights the critical need to prioritize self-care, benefiting both educators and students alike. Moreover, integrating somatic self-care techniques not only enhances intuitive teaching skills but also empowers teachers to forge stronger connections with students and effectively address their individual needs.
Pilates, when approached holistically, opens pathways to a comprehensive understanding of our bodies, spanning from physical well-being to emotional resilience and social connectedness. This holistic viewpoint, reinforced by somatic movement education, encourages us to appreciate the interplay of these elements in our pursuit of modern wellness.
Experience Somatics in your Pilates practice with these 5 video exercises
A video from March Matness Swan. I discuss how Joseph Pilates thought the cervical and lumbar curves were an imbalance but in fact they are necessary developmental patterns!
Somatic Rolling Practice
Ab Prep/Hundred From a Developmental Lens
Somatic Practice of Embodying the Heart
Resources and References:
About the Author
Allie Greene
Since my first creative movement class at age four, through a professional dance career, and now within the realm of behavioral health, my lifelong journey has always centered around the profound impact of movement. With 20+ years of teaching dance, Pilates, yoga, and somatic education/therapy in diverse settings, I cultivate spaces that foster support and nurturance for individuals to delve into and empower their connection with body, mind, and spirit.Whether you choose to visit Equilibrium Pittsburgh Movement Studio or connect with me through Soma Movement at alliesoma.com, Fusion Pilates EDU, or Pilates Anytime, my commitment extends to facilitating transformative holistic movement experiences from a trauma informed lens.
Education/Certifications
- RSME/T Registered Somatic Movement Therapist w/ ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education & Therapy Association).
- 500 RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) w/ EmbodiYoga & Somatics
- NCPT (Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher)
- BA Sociology & Performing Arts
- MSW (Masters of Social Work – trauma informed curriculum)student through Carlow University