Why Somatic Wisdom?
In a world where everyone wants us to change our mindset, what benefit can be gained here?
1. Why this, why now
For years I was told that I was smart. I was told I had a fast brain, and I was a quick learner. These things were valuable, and could make me successful one day. While my body struggled with coordination and I was never the first person picked on teams in gym class, that didn’t matter. My thinking mind was what I was taught to value, and my body was just the vehicle that carried it around.
While my fast-thinking brain won me a lot of accolades in school, I sensed that wasn’t the whole story. My self-consciousness about my body started growing in my teens, when I was taller than most of the other kids. And as a “White Mexican” my confusion about belonging probably played into this. My body and brain could hide things in a way other bodies could not. And since nobody likes a “know it all” I was advised by my parents to be smart but not to lord it over anyone.
In high school I struggled with food and body image (don’t we all?) and in college I had a mild eating disorder. Something in me wanted soothing and reassurance, and it was a bodily need, not a mental one. And because I’d been taught that the body is “base, animal, and our carnal nature” I was not allowed to attend to it well, outside of banal healthy behaviors.
Many years later, as I developed an understanding of my ADHD, and the levels of disembodiment that many of us endure in this culture, I saw the folly of what had taken place. Ignoring our bodies while valorizing our minds leads to all kinds of suffering, as individuals, communities, and globally. The more I began to fully embody myself, and listen to my heart and my gut, the more joy I was able to access. I spent less time ruminating about the past and speculating about the future. I accessed peace more often.
In 2018 when I left my career as a clinical research operations manager for an international division, I knew that I would need to fully embody my leadership traits in a new way. As I deepened into my yoga practice through teacher training, I began understanding myself in a fundamentally different way. The somatic wisdom started pouring forth, along with all the creativity I’d been missing in my corporate role. I was hooked.
2. What kind of reader might enjoy this series
This is a space where people can connect with their own bodies, and reconnect the places where family and society have separated us from our inherent wisdom. As a supplement to the work I also share via the Somatic Wisdom podcast, I anticipate sharing practices that have helped my clients and me to navigate a changing world with greater ease.
I hope you will be able to connect with others who are waking up to their own wholeness as well. As we use the gifts we may have neglected for quite some time, there may be grief, but I know there will be much joy. After nearly three years since the global pandemic forced us to look inward, we are ready to emerge with a more spacious idea of who we are becoming, more resilience to make hard decisions.
While many articles will tell you that all you need is a change in mindset, I think most transformations we make are a change in our entire being. This includes our body, our senses, our feeling and perceiving abilities. Somatic wisdom is about inhabiting ALL parts of who we are, and allowing others to do this also. Ultimately it is an inclusive way of taking care of our whole selves, while attending kindly to the selves of others.
3. Logistics
As I begin this journey, I expect that I’ll post on a weekly-ish basis and release on Wednesdays (usually). Long ago, in another life, when I posted on WordPress as “mexi-minnesotana” I created series called Wellness Wednesdays. It was a popular topic, and it is more needed than ever as we reinvent the way we work and live.
I’d love to know what your struggles are, and when the “Instacommunity” is not providing what you need. As a clinical researcher, I don’t just recycle the meme culture. I dig into the papers and share from my own experience to keep it real.
4. The audio version
While there may not be a 1:1 correlation with the weekly Somatic Wisdom podcast, there will be a good deal of overlap in terms of content. It’s a relatively short form option for taking along on a walk, and helps when you need a break from staring too long at a screen.
As a person with what some would label as a disability, and in my desire to overcome my own ableism, I want to provide this content in formats that work for more people. Also, I’m loving the process of interviewing other experts on their somatic wisdom, so it’s an extra treat.
Be well, take a few minutes to tune into what your body needs and wants today. See you soon!