It's another beautiful early autumn sunny day (or would you say late summer?) here in Lincolnshire and as I type my attention keeps meandering to the pain in my right arm that got twisted when I lifted and manoeuvred something into my car on Saturday, I'm not worried though as I know and can already feel how my Somatics practice has eased it. I think this is just one of the gifts of this practice, confidence and skills to help yourself as well as self belief. There are many benefits to this practice, another, being increased self awareness and the understanding that what is felt physically more often than not has an emotional story underneath.
Last week, I worked with a client and here's what she said to me in a message the following day...
“Thank you dear Liz for the content of your email, links, and your skill to know what is required with loving awareness. I slept well, and can feel a few twinges and aches but more than anything I can feel a lovely ease starting to unfold slowly and quietly... Thank you so much for the precious time you took with me yesterday. Even as I woke this morning I sensed my body more when normally my mind is what is upper most in the ‘doing’ planning of the day. Your loving patience was so comforting. Thank you so much for your intuitive knowledge. My body is holding a great deal of past suffering... I can now see how I held all these emotions and suffering in my body and soldiered on as many people do, I suppose. I feel it’s now time to thank my body for holding all it did but now to release and ease. Again thank you so much for your loving patience Liz. xx”
She came to me to help with chronic neck, back and shoulder tension and neck trembles and also feels how restricted she had become with her movement. It was apparaent too she was scared to move. Her life experiences were showing the pattern of what we refer to in Somatics as the Red Light reflex, the withdrawal response to protect yourself from fear, worry, grief and anxiety. Does this resonant with you?
My client gave permission for me to share her photographs and also her feedback, you can see her physical response as she has adapted to her life's circumstances and how as she has begun to release, not only was she more open and upright, she was beginning to make the connections of her emotions and restricted movement, pain and posture. They key difference with Clinical Somatics to anything else is that you learn to understand these reflexive responses and that we don't try to move the body "away" from the pattern, rather, we accentuate the reflex patterns to regain control over them together with the "pandiculation" technique which is a more gentle approach compared to other methods that may stretch you out/away from what you are used to, which can be triggering and feel less safe.
I a grateful to my client for sharing this and we hope it helps you or someone else who is in a similar situation? If so, please do pass this on and get in touch if you feel ready to release your holding patterns.
Next Monday I'm away, so there'll be no newsletter, please take a look at what's coming up in class this week, as well as all the events coming up over the next few months including my free Community Class on Wednesday14th October at 7:30 pm, an hour long class where I'll be guiding you through some of the basics to gently ease you into a more relaxed way of being and feeling. You can book for that here
And as always, I have some lovely offerings coming up, you can view those here
I'll be back in a few week, until then,
From my heart, soul & soma to yours,
Liz 🧡🙏🏻