Somatic Self-inquiry: 
Using the Body to Free the Mind

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Regeneration by Jeanette Amlie
As we grow older our bodies often begin to develop strange little symptoms and changes that we may ignore until they start to interrupt our ability to live  & function as we're used to. We are taught by western medicine to just chalk this up to the natural aging process. 

But what if there is more to it than that? What if our bodies have been "talking" to us our whole lives trying to get our attention and not until we reach mid-life do many of us begin noticing it's little cries for assistance.

Often we try and treat these symptoms directly with pharmaceuticals or herbal remedies. Sometimes this works, sometimes it helps for a little while & sometimes the conditions either recur or worsen despite our efforts. But what if there is really nothing that happens in our bodies that isn't connected to the beliefs we carry about ourselves & the world & that by listening to them we may hear some deeply profound revelations.

So where do you "store your war"? By noticing how our bodies are expressing themselves we can often gain great insight as to what, where & how we are storing the inner conflict that can arise from trauma, stress, repression & maladapted beliefs. When we turn & face inward and look at what is right here and begin to notice the subtle and not-so-subtle ways our bodies are communicating with us, we also see that decades & sometimes lifetimes of conflict has been stored within us. Often our attention alone is enough to begin to free up this bound energy & release it through our nervous systems.  

Try the little exercise on the right & see what you notice. Play around with it & see if it feels useful. This is the beginning of the Somatic Self Inquiry that is used in Neuro-Somatic Training. By adding a special kind of bilateral music to this process and other exercises that are specifically related to the places we carry old energy, we are able to access & re-process deep, old & previously hard to shift patterns of belief & behavior.

If you want to investigate this terrain further, but feel you could use some support & guidance along the way, then I invite you to visit Sessions & Groups to learn more about the ways we can work together to restore your ability to relax into your life & respond to the world in a new & more natural way.

                                                     © Jeanette Amlie
Somatic Awareness Exercise

Try an experiment & take something that has been frustrating & triggering you. Close your eyes & bring up the feeling & then see if you can sense how your body is telling you that you are upset. Notice subtle signs of tension, contraction, pain, etc. 

Now try squeezing your hands & feet tightly for a few seconds & then release them all at once. Notice what you sense in your body & see  if it is changing. 

There may be subtle signs of discharge like tingling, twitching, tears, yawning, gurgling stomach, etc. that show the energy is moving. Follow this with your curious attention, without judgement or even trying to "fix" anything & see what happens. You may find that what was upsetting before is not as strong.

Repeat this exercise until you feel a marked reduction in your reaction to the issue.

As with all meditations & exercises remember that you are ALWAYS your own best authority on what is right for you & stop if you feel you need assistance in accessing this stored emotion.