What is somatics?

Somatics is theory and methodology of transformation that understands both the individual and collective as a combination of biological, evolutionary, emotional, spiritual and psychological aspects. The word comes from the greek root “soma,” meaning “a living being in their wholeness. A politicized somatic lens understands that we are shaped by socio-cultural norms, including systems of domination and violence. However, we also have the power to reshape those norms by drawing on and embodying our intrinsic wisdoms about freedom. We build the capacity to reshape our socio-cultural conditions by way of somatic practice.

Politicized somatic practice is a devotion to learning the languages of our corporeal, energetic and spiritual bodies for the sake of accessing the wisdom we need to get free. Politicized somatic practice is a return to lifeways that integrate embodied ways of knowing into daily life. All of have ancestors that once did this; some of us are a part of intact lineages that still do. It is important that we practice in both individual and collective bodies so that we can re-member what is there for us already.

You may still be wondering — what does somatic practice actually look like in real time? Truly, a lot of different practices fit under the umbrella of “somatics.” Through Betula, you will be invited into guided visualizations, role play, creative movement and expression, sound release, gentle self-bodywork, breathwork and noticing conditioned tendencies. Your longings and consent will guide our way.

Is somatic practice for me?

Somatics is for you if you feel ready to explore the invaluable offerings your soma has to offer your healing and growth. Ultimately, we are learning to access those offerings in interest of your dreams. Here are some examples of what can inspire folks to enter somatic practice:

• Folks feel “talked out.” If you find yourself stagnant or spinning even though you have fleshed out your stories in therapeutic settings, somatic practice may usher you into the next phase of healing and becoming by inviting new voices and perspectives from your bodyspirit into the process.

• Folks want to feel after a period of disembodiment. These containers can be where we learn to feel again, as scary as it may be. It is vulnerable to feel. In somatic practice, we will aim to move at the pace of trust. This makes for non-linear pathways and looks different for each individual or group. However, we always root in our choice and the power of consent. As Kai Cheng Thom says, “choosing is more important than doing.” That is one of the many practices we can center.

• Folks would like to feel empowered living in bodies that are not adequately celebrated under these systems of violence and domination. The capitalist, imperialist cisheteropatriarchy benefits from our perpetual disembodiment and self-hatred. Somatic practice can reveal the collective wisdom and power living inside our racialized, disabled, queer, trans, migrant, poor bodies. Our bodies that live beyond the limits of the english language. Our bodies that are spiritually moved forces beyond dominant depictions of a Christian God.

• Folks want to show up differently in their relationships. Somatic practice can help us understand our attachment patterns and reactivities/responses, reveal the stories about love living inside of us, enhance our communication with one another, shed light on the lives of our triggers and boundaries, and bring clarity to what we want and how we get those things.

• Folks want to consistently align their actions with their political commitments. In other words, “walk the talk.” Somatic practice invites us to organize our very beings around the change we want to see until we are acting in accordance with that vision without a second thought. Imagine feeling an embodied certainty under the pressures like political strategizing, responding to urgency/crisis, or seeing through complex transformative justice processes.