By G Hoffman Soto
I am writing this because more and more I am questioning how the word Somatics is being used in Mindful practices when there is no movement involved. Can Therapy, Meditation practice or Bodywork be presented as Somatics when there is no accompanying study of physical movement? That is my question.
Movement with awareness, Somatics, creates experience and we know that experience is our greatest teacher. Experience translate to Wisdom. When you actually engage with paying attention, awareness, and mindful movement, however form that movement experience takes, that experience becomes wisdom. Knowledge is in the mind, Experience is in the body.
When writing this I realize that I am from an era that when the word Somatics was used it was referring to movement practices…period. I was introduced into the world of Somatics in 1968 through the practice of Hatha Yoga. Of course it wasn’t called Somatics but it was, and is, if taught and practiced according to its roots, a Somatic practice. At the time the emphasis was using postures, or Asanas, to unite the mind, body and spirit and to let go of thoughts, stress and whatever else was cooking in the bodymind. I learned Yoga meant to unite Body, Mind and Spirit.
Two years later I began to study dance. In the beginning of my dance life I would not say dance was a Somatic practice, at least not how I was introduced to it. There were elements of Awareness and Mindfulness in the practices but the emphasis was not on that per se. Later I met and began working with Anna Halprin at the San Francisco Dancers’ Workshop. Anna opened the door into the realm of movement being physical, emotional and spiritual. She introduced me to the idea that emotions could be a part of the creative pie. Her approach to dance was a process of movement, awareness, emotions and spiritual as all parts of the whole. Her work was deepening my way back into my original discovery of movement as a vehicle to unite Body/Mind/Spirit, with the added twist of my emotional body, and then seeing them as not separate but one. Thus my understanding of Somatics took shape. Waking up to all aspects of myself through the Art of Movement.
From that base, I reached out to engage with a number of Feldenkrais teachers including Norma Leistiko. I took some classes in Sensory Awareness with Charles Brooks and a long-time study with Andre Bernard in Ideokinesis, and later I wrote a manual on this subject, Ideokinesis: BodyMind Integration and Integrity. I studied with John Graham and Ruth Zaporah, who were teaching Somatics in a way that was stretching how Mind Body Spirit awareness and oneness could be cultivated through movement. In the late 70s, I studied and taught in Japan. I studied Butoh with Min Tanaka, who is one of the foremost teachers of the practice of Butoh. I am not sure if the Somatic world would consider Butoh a Somatic discipline but the way I learned and developed my appreciation and understanding of the word, his approach certainly fit the description. His methodology was unique, different and most certainly, at least in my understanding of the word Somatics, a practice in cultivating awareness through movement. Min’s teachings were profound, and deep, in the study of awareness through the door of movement.
The word Somatics was first used by Thomas Hanna, who was a student of Moshe Feldenkrais. Hanna Somatics and Feldenkrais are movement practices. A very important and influential book of Feldenkrais title says it all, Awareness Through Movement. Over the years, whenever I studied, practiced or taught Somatics, movement was always the bottom line.
Many years ago, I read something that Feldenkrais said or wrote, I am not sure if the following is a direct quote or some paraphrasing on my part. The point is that movement is the defining key of Somatics as seen by one of the most important pioneers of Somatics in the Western world.
“…at some point thought must be realized in action. Mere cognition won’t do. Mind and body must be embodied in some form of action. Not “I think therefore I am” as Descates expressed, but “I act and by my actions I learn who I am.” “Not “know thyself” as Socrates advised us, but by movement, and willed action, “create thyself!”
During this time, I was introduced into the world of TaiQi Ch’uan and QiGong. This gave me insight into the deep roots of Somatic work before the word came into being. As I mentioned before, Yoga was the first door I found into the world of movement as a practice to cultivate awareness and mindfulness. Now I was beginning to see that the practice of Somatics was practiced long before the word came into being as the definition of movement as a vehicle in developing one’s awareness, or mindfulness.
If we trace the practice of BodyMind Spirit integration and integrity through the practice of a movement technique, then we understand that paying attention, being aware, or mindful, when we do a task has been practiced in various forms in Asia for thousands of years. For example
Calligraphy, or Shodo in Japanese, is an ancient practice throughout Asia that the the Taoists, Buddhists and others used as a cornerstone to their way of cultivating themselves. Another example would be the Tea Ceremony, or commonly called by the Japanese word Chado. The practices are in movement. Additionally, some of the Martial Arts definitely fall under the Somatic umbrella, TaiQi Ch’uan, QiGong and Aikido are three examples. What begins to become apparent, as many meditation teachers profess, is that any activity can be a practice of cultivating mindfulness. The relation of the mind, attention, and the activity are the keys. Of course, not all movement activities could be called Somatics, nor are all Mindfulness techniques Somatic practices.
Let’s go back to the example example of Martial Arts. Again, I want to reiterate that not all Martial Arts are Somatic practices. As I mentioned, TaiQi Ch’uan, QiGong and Aikido are classic examples, if taught with a Somatic perspective, i.e. of becoming more awake and attentive to our movement in various contexts; of paying attention to all that is involved in correct execution of the movement, of paying attention to the kinesthetics of the movement being studied and practiced, of understanding that the problem is not outside of ourselves but that we are confronting our own demons through the metaphor of the person we are training with, that the practice evolves through self cultivation, that we are cultivating ourselves in and through the movement. Then yes, these examples bring them under the umbrella of Somatics.
I have had many Asian teachers in the Martial Arts, and as mentioned, in Butoh, and I don’t remember one teacher using the word Somatics. Much of the principles are the same but they have a different vocabulary. Presently I realize many western teachers of these arts, including me, do use the word Somatics in their teaching and presentation of these practices. I also recognize that in Asia the word is slowly seeping into the vocabulary of teachers of various disciplines.
One of my practices is the Taiyi Swimming Dragon form, which is a combination of TaiQi, QiGong and perhaps some Chinese Dance. I present it in Trainings as a Somatic practice. I present it as recognition, and a tribute, to the roots of Somatics. The roots which are long and deep, which were there long before the word Somatics came into use. I use the practice to honor that Somatics is not a new western idea but evolved from ancient traditions and practices in Asia. Somatics is a new word to describe awareness in movement or mindfulness in movement, but the practice is not.
Let’s come back to my original question…What is Somatics…Really?
I am asking this question because recently I had a number of experiences where the word Somatics was used in the description of people’s work yet they were not employing movement. One example was a very successful therapist friend who used the word Somatics in her description of her work. Upon asking her about her movement work in her practice, she answered she didn’t use external movement but was looking to help her clients to connect to their internal environment.
A second example was that I recently got an e mail about a course in Meditation that had Somatics in the title. I took the introduction to the proposed training online. It involved scanning the body with one ’s attention. I was familiar with the concept and practice of body scans and very much enjoyed the presentation. And…there was no movement! Perhaps later in the course movement comes into play, but I did not get the impression that was the case.
So my question became why use the word Somatics? Why not use the term Mindfulness or internal awareness if there is no movement practice involved? Of course Somatics is a mindful practice but are all mindful practices Somatics? For example, if I am a therapist and ask the client to go inside and feel the sensations that are accompanying their anger or fear,
is that Somatics? Or if I am meditating and track my sensations in my body mind is that Somatics? I say that they are Mindful practices but not Somatic practices.
Before I go on I want to say I have been in the field for a very long time and I realize things evolve and change. While contemplating and thinking about writing this article, I had thoughts that I am just too old school and have trouble with the evolution of how the term Somatics is being used. Am like the dogs in my neighborhood that bark at everybody who walks by? Maybe yes, maybe no. I understand that I am voicing my opinion and as I earlier mentioned, everyone has one. And I also accept the point that I like to think I know, but to be honest with myself, Molayo, Korean for “I don’t know.”
But I digress, let me go on a bit more. One question I had to ask myself is what about internal movement? Practices that cultivate awareness through body scanning, calling attention to the kinesthetics going on inside the body, for example: when I feel sad, what are the sensations of that feeling? Another is one of the foundations of my work, Ideokinesis. In Ideokinesis one sees, or visualizes, movement in specific areas of the body and moving in specific directions to re-educate the neuromuscular patterns to bring about better alignment, reduce stress and/or, tone the desired neuromuscular units. Is that a Somatic practice where there is no external movement? Again, Mulayo. What I do when I work with Ideokinesis is include movement before, after or both, to experience how the internal work impacts the external kinesthetics, awareness and the range and execution of one’s movement. This way I dodge the question I am asking about internal movement which is, are these practices that do not have physical movement studies a Somatic practice?
My experience tells me Therapy can be a Somatic experience when there is movement to help bring the client into a more clear understanding of their emotional body and the relationship of the emotional body and the physical body and to understand they are not separate. Movement can help clarify and deepen this experience. Mediation as well can include movement. One example is in Zen meditation practices there is Kinin, which is a walking meditation done between sitting sessions. One of the practices I utilize in my work is a practice I began to develop and practice back in the 80s with my good friend Richard Strozzi Heckler, we called it Movement and Stillness: An Evolutionary Dance. We would employ sitting and then moving. Each movement session would employ different qualities and then come back to sitting. This is another example of how Meditation could be linked to movement to help me accept that it can be a Somatic practice. And in Bodywork on a table, the Bodyworker can present and utilize movement both on and off the table to support the hands-on work. In these circumstances, I would say OK, the word Somatics is appropriate.
This trail of thoughts lead me to wonder and question how many of the people employing the word Somatics in their work have a background in studying and practicing Somatics as a movement discipline? If the roots of Somatics is movement, then in my opinion, and of course we all have an opinion and as my grandfather would say “who cares,” that person should have a background in a Somatic Practice, and again I am referring to a movement-based practice in awareness, mindfulness and waking up.
A question I would have for people who use the term, but do not use movement as their base or who don’t have a Somatic practice or training in Somatic movement, why not call it mindful meditation, or therapy with a mindful perspective? My hope would be that the Somatic world maintains its integrity and connection to its roots and doesn’t forget that Somatics is a movement-based approach to awareness and mindfulness.
I want to be clear that this is my position based on my 56 years of studying movement as mind body spirit practice. I am asking questions and at the same time giving my opinion based on my experience. I am well aware that everything changes and evolves, or not, and Somatics certainly is doing that. In the end, I am concerned that the Somatic roots, in some cases, are being lost. I want to support and celebrate that Somatics is a methodology in becoming more aware, mindful and awake, is a practice in becoming a more complete, open and compassionate human being through the practice of movement.
So I end where I begin…What is Somatics…Really?
“You understand how to act from knowledge, but you have not yet seen how to act from not-knowing.” – Chuang Tau
