August

On somatic movement

Somatic movement is all about prioritizing the body: listening to how it wants to move, where it needs attention, what it can receive and what it can release.

Somatic practices like yoga and Gyrotonic give us the opportunity to deconstruct the separation between the body and mind:

In school, when our body wanted to fidget, we were taught to control ourselves.

In a traditional ballet education, when our bodies were pushed past their limits, we were taught to push down the pain and put on an appearance of grace. (More on this in next month’s post)

In a 9-5 work environment, when our body wants to stretch and take up space, we were given offices that confine our bodies and their movements.

In today’s world, where the work grind has us all hunched over screens and scrambling to meet deadlines, the toll on our body is often overlooked. Only when something begins to ache do we slow down and realize that something must change.

And even then, when we recognize the need for physical movement, the hustle culture has saturated the fitness industry so that wellness no longer prioritizes how you feel inside but how you look on the outside. There is a pervasive sense that equates going to the gym with taking care of the body. And although this sentiment may be a good way to identify the initial physical need for movement, it only sees the “what” and neglects to account for the “how.”

How you cultivate a relationship with your body.

How you address pain and how you give yourself space for healing.

How you exercise in a way that replenishes rather than depletes your body.

How you prioritize your body’s needs and listen to its intuition.

While there is a time and a place for targeted fitness regimens that produce immediate outcomes, the quick gym fix often overlooks the value of slowing down, tuning in, and consciously moving the body as a unified whole.

If we were to incorporate holistic movement into our routine and normalize the need for breaks from the screen, the couch, the desk, we could prevent those aches from starting in the first place.

When I practice Gyrotonic, I give myself a chance to decompress from the grind. The movement intentionally works to counteract the forces of gravity. It allows my body to feel lifted and weightless, rather than pulled down by screens, paperwork, the weight of the world.

And sometimes it takes me a while to pull away from the magnetism of the grind. Sometimes I am so engrossed in the trivialities of the social media scroll that I can no longer hear what my body is saying to me.

Sometimes, say when I am frustrated that an ache in my neck isn’t going away fast enough, I may even stop trying to listen to my body all together. But popping a pill to dull the ache isn’t a long term solution. And my body will always be there to remind me of that.

Your somatic movement practice is a gift of kindness to your body because it not only helps relieve the aches of today but it prevents the injuries of tomorrow. It reminds you to nurture your relationship with your body. It is an investment in the longevity of your wellbeing.   

And that is the kind of investment we should be happy to make.

It is the investment in a human kind of movement: movement for humankind.