Somatic Awareness: The Body as Your Teacher
Question: Have you ever felt out of rhythm with yourself?
Like your mind was racing ahead but your body couldn’t keep up? It’s like your thoughts are sprinting while your body is still tying its shoes…
Those moments aren’t signs of weakness; instead, think of them as data.
Your body is the most honest feedback system you have.
Before burnout, there’s tension.
Before disengagement, there’s exhaustion.
Before clarity, there’s often stillness.
“The body says what words cannot.” — Martha Graham
Somatic awareness, the first layer of self-awareness, invites us to turn our attention from thinking about life to sensing it.
It’s how we tune into the language of breath, tension, and rhythm.
It’s how we locate ourselves in the present moment.
The body keeps score, yes…but it also keeps wisdom. Innate intelligence and wisdom; the body tells us when we’re pushing too hard, holding too much, or drifting too far from what’s real.
In my own practice, I notice how easy it is to live in my head, to analyze, plan, explain. But the moment I soften my jaw, unclench my belly, or step outside for a walk, something shifts. Awareness drops from concept to experience.
You can’t think your way into presence. You have to feel your way there.
A few ways to practice somatic awareness:
Pause and sense. Before you answer an email or scroll your phone, notice what your body is doing. Is your breath shallow? Shoulders tight?
Name and allow. Instead of saying, “I’m anxious,” try, “I feel tightness in my chest.” The language of the body brings compassion to the experience.
Move to metabolize. When emotion feels stuck, let the body complete the cycle—stretch, shake, walk, dance. Movement restores flow. Motion moves Emotion.
Here’s a formula to remember:
Somatic Awareness = The Body’s Wisdom + Present Attention
When you meet your body with awareness instead of agenda, it becomes your greatest teacher.
As I build out my upcoming Ways We Experience Awareness community offering, hit reply and let me now if you’re curious to learn more.
Stay In Awareness,
-Adela