Self-care for wild times

What are somatic practices? 

To do somatic work simply means to work with the body, in this case, collaborating with our bodies to find grounding, calm, or other desired states of being, while also listening to our bodies’ wisdom and intuition to guide us in our practices.

In other contexts, you might have heard of somatic therapy as a modality that works with the body for trauma recovery, and while that’s connected to what we’re doing here to varying degrees, somatic care for your creative self isn’t specifically about unearthing and resolving trauma (though sometimes somatic work can unearth big feelings and even memories, so be gentle on yourself).

For me, these practices are about remembering, allowing, and coming into deeper relationship with myself and thus my creativity. 

What these practices are not, and I cannot stress this enough, is a way to ‘fix’ something. You aren’t broken. 

We have plenty of tools out there for healing and while, yes, the practices I outline below could fall into that, I also want to urge us to not fall into the trap of constantly feeling like we have to put ourselves in the repair shop. 

When it feels like one thing heals, releases, or moves, it doesn’t mean we need to be on an immediate quest to heal something else. You aren’t broken. You’re just working with your body to learn about yourself and your creativity and live your life more fully.

Why work with somatics as a creative

For years, I didn’t really work with my body’s wisdom: I treated myself more as a machine than a forest, with a body that was there simply as a container for my intellect and spirit, and so anything that didn’t fit into that paradigm got tossed by the wayside.

However, now I listen to my body first when making decisions. I check in with my body’s wisdom frequently throughout the day. And I’m constantly in a deepening relationship with myself that’s at once rewarding and enlightening.

Here are a few benefits to working with somatics as a creative:

Helps you feel safe to receive the things you want, so you actually go out and get them rather than sneaky self-sabotaging. 

There are evolutionary reasons why our nervous systems prioritize safety: So when we work with our nervous system as a friend, we can help it feel safe to receive the things we want to do, create, and have.

Helps you clear away all the distracting, buzzing energy that isn’t serving you, and helps you identify exactly what is distracting or draining. When you learn the language of your body, and engage in activities to ground and clear, you are more attuned to engage in deeper listening and deeper focus.

Whether or not you think any of this ‘works’, by practicing it you’re still receiving benefits: And you may find you believe in it more over time as you see the results.

I also use nervous system work and energy work as part of my larger practices for receiving and creating: That’s outside the scope of this newsletter issue (I may touch on it in the future) but if you want help designing a practice for you, book a session with me. 

Deepens your relationship with self: For folks who have embodied trauma, which is many of us, it can be easy to dissociate from our bodies when we’re stressed. Having somatic practices ready to go helps us anchor into our bodies, listen, and turn towards ourselves as a trusted friend rather than mentally scrambling for the exits. 

Deepens your self trust and opens you up to greater possibilities: When you trust your gut (or wherever else in your body) to lead you in the right direction, you’re sending signals to your nervous system and your thinking mind that you are trustworthy. Your body has access to intelligence beyond your logical, conscious mind, and you can work with that more deeply by learning to listen to the signals your body sends.

An aside: I’ll get into energy work in future issues, but I see overlap between working with energy and working with the body (I offer private Reiki sessions and group energy work sessions if you want to start exploring this with me now).

What will the results look like? 

That really depends on your unique life and nervous system, but typically you’ll feel greater ease and tap into your flow more readily, while feeling distracted less often. You’ll also, possibly, feel greater clarity as you navigate your life because you’re listening to your body as you make decisions.

You’ll know when you’ve reached the point of diminishing returns and it’s time to step away, rather than when you’re just distracted and need to switch tasks, because you’ll be in greater relationship to the language of your own body.

Daily habits for cultivating a sense of safety in your nervous system

Regulate or check in before receiving or doing: 

I’m not of the school that we need to be in nervous system regulation at all times, because dysregulation also gives us information (more on that in a moment, see anxiety and excitement), however if we can teach our nervous systems that it’s safe to both do our creative work and to receive the things we want to receive from our creative work (pitch acceptances, book deals, a sense of accomplishment, more big exciting ideas, etc. etc.) whole worlds of possibility open up.

Nervous system regulation is basically tapping into our parasympathetic nervous system, going into a calm and more restful state of being rather than fight or flight.

You may have different practices you already use for this like EFT tapping, visualization and meditation,or breathwork.

I also like to do bilateral stimulation when I’m really feeling good while writing, to help anchor that feeling into my nervous system a bit more deeply.

I do this by placing hands palms down on my thighs and slowly tapping back and forth, or giving myself a gentle hug and slowly tapping with my palms back and forth on my shoulders or arms.

Another important daily practice: Learn what ‘yes’ and ‘no’ feel like in your body, and ask your body’s wisdom regularly (and listen to it, even and perhaps especially if it doesn’t make super logical sense). 

You can do this by simply asking your body what ‘yes’ and ‘no’ feel like and notice any associated emotions and sensations. You may need to do this multiple times to get a clear sense of what each feels like and how they’re different: No need for rushing or judgment, just get curious about it and see what comes through.

As-needed practices:

Anxiety and excitement: Anxiety and excitement are two similar-feeling sensations in the body, and it can be helpful to notice when you feel anxious where the edges of that sensation exist, and where they might intersect with your excitement. 

When you feel anxious about something, think about what about that thing gets you excited. Tap into the physical feelings and say ‘there is excitement in here, too’ or ‘I am feeling excitement’ (or whatever) and remind yourself of those reasons. Notice what that shifts for you.

Example: Submitting a book proposal can be anxiety-inducing for some people, but it also represents the potential beginning of a publishing journey and the path to a book becoming reality.

Acknowledge that it can evoke big feelings and anxiety, but also acknowledge that there are some good and desirable big feelings in there too (the excitement). How can you turn your attention towards those? Doing this not only helps you mentally feel better, it teaches your nervous system that you’re safe even when doing work that pushes you to your comfort edges like this.

When you’re feeling like you’re buzzing with anxious energy or nerves, or you’re fighting with someone or having a bad day at work and it’s pulling you away from your writing, try:

Grounding and release, pouring energy into the Earth or

Wiping energy off of yourself like water (see video below for examples of these: If you’ve worked with me before these will be familiar)

Tree breathing and other breathwork practices can be useful, too!

When you’re feeling easily distracted, giving yourself reminders of why this work feels better than grabbing yet another snack or doomscrolling can help. You might journal, or visualize, or whatever else works for you. 

This is a process, like everything else, and the more you engage in it, the more easily it will happen for you over time!

I made a video outlining these practices in greater depth for a recent class. Give it a watch here:

Want more? Want some 1:1 support to think through somatics more deeply, or build your own practice? 

I’m hosting a limited number of 2-hour completely customized individual sessions, for anything from drafting book proposals to receiving energy work and building creative rituals and routines.

The discounted pricing is probably only going to last during October (but you can select appointments later in the year): I may extend it a bit, but there’s no guarantee. And I expect these spots to fill up pretty quick.

Head to my calendar and select Samhain specials to book: I’ll customize our session to your needs, and can fold somatic practices in to other focus areas as well.