Your Body is the Garden of Soul

      Like the rings of a tree marking its growth, the body re-members the core of its own healing. Traditional approaches to self-understanding emphasize our mental capacitities, focusing on talking about our experiences which, while helpful in gaining insight into our situation, often results in “getting ahead” of ourselves, and leaving the body behind. In somatic psychotherapy, we add the dimension of listening to the body’s innate intelligence as it guides us through the sensations it sends, to the direct experiencing our inner truths, surfacing the buried stories that no longer define who we are. 

      The bonds of affection that develop between an infant and a caregiver form the emotional root of our sense of self and how we relate to others as we grow. The felt sense of being loved is wired in the internal circuitry of our body and becomes the springboard from which we engage, in delight & curiosity with the world around us. 

      Emotions are chemically woven into the fabric of our body. As infants & children, when our physical and emotional needs are ignored, our survival instincts mobilize to respond to the threat of abandonment or annihilation. Inexpressible feelings of fear, rage, helplessness and loss, translated through biochemical messenger molecules in our body, can remain stuck in the memory of our cells, joints, blood, muscles, glands, digestive tract, and in our nervous and immune systems, until they are released. In such instances of preverbal trauma, touch can be most effective in communicating to the body that the danger has passed & that we are now safe.  

      Giving birth and facing mortality are rites of passage, which most challenge us into coming to terms with Life. Regardless of the circumstances of our birth or the challenging conditions of our upbringing, our parents are the conduits of the Life that comes through to us, and in turn to the children we may bear. Revisiting our family legacy can release the unacknowledged and disowned secrets that continue to tie families in knots, which are often subconsciously handed down through the generations. Understanding the lessons of our origins is directly related to our ability to embrace Life itself, to open to our joy, accept the gifts of our lineage and engender the well-being of the children who will grow to replace us. As adults now, we have an opportunity to heal those wounds, to kindle our creative spark and restore our kinship to others.