Next Level Self-Care: The Somatic Approach
I am breathing while I am writing. I consciously deepen my breath while thoughts form and arrange themselves. I see my mind. At this moment I smile and relax my shoulders and bring awareness to my belly where I’m feeling grumblings of hunger. It’s 8:00 a.m. Sunday. I notice I’m a bit hungry, mixed with a touch of nervousness. The smile reemerges. I am experiencing my body from the inside out. This is a somatic experience, a first-hand experience of self relating to the body in the present moment.
Breathing in the earthy aromas, I notice the nervousness in my stomach has quieted.
In my current morning ritual, I drink chicory herbal “coffee.” Wrapping my hands around the hot mug, I inhale the mocha herbal scent. Breathing in the earthy aromas, I notice the nervousness in my stomach has quieted. The act of noticing how one is feeling, then taking soothing and caring action to remedy a situation is self-care. Adopting self-care into one’s life requires lifestyle changes and forming new habits that actualize in the direction of self-healing rather than self-harm. You may have guessed, self-care is not a “one-and-done” situation, but rather a continuous process of self-inquiry and check-ins as you invest in becoming the best version of yourself.
To level up self-care inclusive of somatic approaches, we must first slow down and get granular with our self-inquiry and experiences.
Listening to the body takes practice. Learning what the body needs to heal and feel good takes actionable practice. Self-care can be expressed through the lenses of the emotional, physical, and mental paradigms. With my herbal coffee morning ritual, I am tapping into these paradigms by consciously breathing deeply and paying attention to sensations such as the aromas stimulating pleasant sense memories. I take in and appreciate I physically have the ability to hold a mug while sitting and anticipate the deliciousness of my first sip. I feel the warmth of the mug in my hands which provides a calming presence to my body. These things I know to be true to me as I have tested them time and time again. These are somatic approaches I know I can take to calm my nervous system. I am present with my body and mind attuned to my emotional well-being.
If you are interested in leveling up your self-care practice or leaning into a more mindful life, you can add these somatic mind-body healing experiences to your everyday life.
Physical: move your body, gentle touch, cuddling, quality sleep, naps, physical intimacy, aromatic baths, be in nature, artwork
Emotional: therapy, reaching out to family and friends, meditation, journaling, drawing, painting, singing, laughing, deep breathing, writing yourself a love letter, daily affirmations
Mental: read a book, listen to music or a podcast, watch a movie, learn something new, give yourself permission to rest and do nothing