Total Somatics created the theme “Somatic in September” a few years ago. As we have already arrived in September (where has this year gone?!) we will continue this theme and consider different areas we can be somatic over the next few weeks.

Check out my short video below and allow me to elaborate on this video afterwards…..

WEEK ONE - STOP & RECONNECT

As I created this theme, I thought of how busy yet productive my year has been. How has your year been to date? Have you had lots to do? Do you feel you have always been in control or at times have you felt life has caused you to feel drained and overwhelmed? It can happen and when it does, it is usually a huge wake up call that we need to take stock of what we are doing and how we organise our day and life generally.

However let us start creating opportunities to re-centre and recalibrate every day. When we keep a regular check on our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health, we are able to fire on all cylinders, so to speak. So how can we stop and reconnect? What techniques can we use to notice the internal terrain and behaviour of our soma?

YOUR SOMA

You will find that within my blogs I often refer to the word “soma.” What does this word mean? A soma is a huge sensory organism which absorbs all emotions, trends, behaviours, actions, habits, cultures, belief systems and anything else we come into contact with which shapes who we are and what makes us 'tick.' We are all unique and so one soma will be very different to another soma, because we all have a different story and catalogue of events that have happened to create the amazing individual we are today.

So if we are creating a lifestyle which means we live in a hamster’s wheel, we feel we are unable to get off and as a result we are being controlled by stress responses.  This will cause us to begin to suffer and eventually we will have no choice but to stop and recuperate. So let’s consider some self care techniques we could develop this week as we stop and reconnect.

How is your nervous system today?  Have you checked in with yourself to see how your nervous system is affecting different areas of your body?

Consider this 9 minute audio to help to STOP AND RECONNECT….

Did you notice that when you stop and listen to how your nervous system is communicating to your muscles and internal terrain, you realise how much is actually going on subconsciously throughout your day.

How do you feel emotionally?

How do you feel emotionally? Do you feel sad? Happy? Average? It is natural to feel fluctuations with your mood. You cannot be happy all of the time. However when you are happy, cherish those feelings and appreciate them.  When you feel sad, allow tears to well up. If you need to cry, allow yourself to release that tension. Crying is a form of pandiculation, you are releasing deep held tension from within your diaphragm and allowing emotions to release rather than suppressing them.  When you suppress emotions, you are creating muscle tension, digestive issues, sleep disturbances plus many other ways stress and tension can manifest.

To develop a deeper awareness to your soma and how you breathe, check out my second free audio for you this week.  This audio has binaural music to encourage your brain waves to slow down to alpha rhythm. When you are in alpha rhythm, you are allowing your nervous system to be conducive to absorbing and retaining new information. 

Whilst listening to this audio, please wear headphones to gain the full benefits of binaural music.

Create time every day to find time to STOP AND RECONNECT. Could you find yourself a partner to become accountable to?  Maybe the two of you could encourage each other to develop a daily practise.  It is very easy to say you will practise this, however life can become very hectic and if you don’t create time in your day and have someone to check in with, you can easily allow your own somatic health and wellbeing to fall at the way side.

Enjoy this week and take time FOR YOU.

Take care,
Heidi Hadley xx
www.TotalSomatics.com