The Somatics of Money

Healing Your Money Stories Through Somatics and Body-Based Practices

How would you describe your relationship with money?

My own money relationship has had its ups and downs. Right now I think we are navigating a reconciliation after what felt like a half-hearted and tenuous off-and-on dating relationship.

I have been reflecting back on the conversations I have had in recent podcasts, and absorbing the wisdom of guests I have interviewed. My recent 3-episode series covers my own reflections on abundance and money beliefs, along with an insightful interview with

Dana Miranda

of the

Healthy Rich

platform. Then I followed up with an episode on somatic practices to help heal our relationships with money.

And I’m feeling how my recent money work is “landing” in my body and noticing a few upgrades taking place personally. Much of this work is coming from The Art of Money Workbook by financial therapist Bari Tessler. And it is also informed by Tosha Silver’s work. My favorite of her books is It’s Not Your Money: How to Live Fully from Divine Abundance.

If you struggle with money issues, I highly recommend this workbook!

I am no stranger to body-based practices. In my own first book I guide my readers and listeners through breath practices, body-scans, and emotional awareness practices as three of the seven micro-practices. And yet, I really had not applied that work before so intentionally to my relationship with money.

It’s profound how I’m re-conditioning myself to notice when shame comes up about my money stories. I am taking time to breathe through that rather than going into avoidance mode or heading to the kitchen to soothe the anxiety.

For years, I’ve loved the work of Geneen Roth, who helps people heal their compulsive eating issues. And her book Lost and Found detailed her own relationship to money after she lost her life savings to Bernie Madoff. It really helped me understand my own tendencies to “go unconscious” when it comes to money issues.

I am noticing when, as a business owner, I feel a embarrassed about my beginner status when it comes to managing my books. But rather than telling myself the story that “I should already know this” I have managed to shift to “I am figuring this out.”

It’s subtle, but it changes my emotions, and then my actions become more practical. And I sometimes need to say this many times out loud during my money clarity sessions (what I call my weekly check-ins with all the accounts). It keeps that other voice at bay. You know the one, right? It’s the doubtful, whiny voice that tells me my husband is right and I need to go get a “real job” instead of following my heart’s desire for more of a portfolio career.

Even as I write this, I notice my breath, notice the clench in my shoulders and jaw when I hear that voice. Using an Internal Family Systems practice of speaking kindly to that “part” of myself, my wiser self tells this part I understand the concern. I recognize it’s on the same frequency as the voice/part my hubby has about legitimate work. I kindly and gently reassure this part that I hear this concern. I acknowledge how much it has done to protect me, and helped me build up my savings over the years while I was working in a corporate setting.

Then I tell it I will keep listening, but also keep making decisions that are for the highest good of ALL my parts, including the ones that crave creative freedom and autonomy. Maybe “we are figuring this out” is an even better mantra. The wise embodied Self is getting all my players on board… they are here. They are welcome. And we are in a new world now, where we are ready to build containers and system to hold a new kind of abundance.

I would love to hear from you, dear reader.

Are there voices that come up when you sit to pay your bills, or fund your commitments (using the language Dana used in our podcast conversations)?

What are the feelings in your body that come up when you consider particular money stories that come up for you? Where do you locate them specifically? What else do you notice?