What is Somatic?

by | Jun 10, 2021

Listen to Gayle reading the blog aloud.

Hello dear friends, happy Summer!

Recently, a friend asked me if I would use another word instead of somatic when talking about Somatic Finance.

She isn’t the first person to push back against the word as complex, or abstract. I’ve been using somatic for Somatic Finance for more than a decade, and it can be a stumbling block for people from time to time. Somatic is not an ordinary word.

But it is so important. Its specific definition matters for our human development and our life with money. It matters to me that you understand why, and more importantly have direct experiences to support your embodiment. Grab my hand. Let me share the dictionary definition and then let’s learn more.

Somatic originates from the Greek word soma, which means body.

Somatic means relating to the body, distinct from the mind.

Somatic is also one of many lines of human development used in Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory.  In my integral coach practice, our methodology uses six developmental lines: cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, moral, spiritual, and yes, somatic. 

The body is an essential line of human development.

We must recognize the body here, especially as the focus has for so long been on brain development, even as new findings in neuroscience point to the inseparability of our body and brain.

When we engage our body in practice, while simultaneously, cognitively understanding the experience, we build our confidence and self-efficacy in a far more powerful and resourceful way.

Money is almost exclusively focused on facts, knowledge and conceptual ideas. We totally ignore what happens below our neck.

Our body offers unique and precious wisdom for all areas of our life — most notably money. This is a primary emphasis and benefit of Somatic Finance.

I’m not ignoring our brilliant brains and the knowledge we hold; I am including our body. We deserve better and more complete intelligence for our life with money (and all other parts of our lives). Somatic Finance holds a unique and important role in our development.

Since the concept of Somatic Finance is different from what we’re used to, the ideas and practices may require more cognitive time and energy to learn. But our soma is available 24/7. If we choose to welcome the always present intelligence of our body, we supercharge our ability to develop ourselves, expand capacities and enjoy more of what makes our life worth living.

This same friend experienced this somatic intelligence when we were traveling back to the US from a girls trip to Costa Rica.

Our understanding of COVID test requirements, coupled with varying degrees of departure time comfort, created a minor maelstrom in catching our planes home. As we waited for our negative test results so we could check in, and the planes taking off very soon, I said, “my stomach is aching in knots.” I was scared we would miss our flight, and even worse have a false positive covid result. This was my direct, plain, somatic truth.

A few days later, safe at home, my friend and I were on the phone. She recalled that when I said that my stomach ached, she was able to notice her state of being and body signals. She said she was struggling to breathe and experiencing anxiety, just short of an attack.

Notice that my authentic expression, which included an unfiltered truth of sour stomach, pointed my friend to her body and somatic intelligence. She was able to access her anxiety and give her fear attention.

Our somatic awareness expands to those around us and benefits others.

I brought up our prior conversation about the word somatic. I said, “What you just described — this is Somatic Finance.”

Our body offers us the truth. When dealing with money, we typically use only our cognitive reasoning to make decisions, and we bypass the unique and valuable information our body provides. If we want to make better financial decisions, we use our brain and our body. 

My friend, having a direct experience of somatic awareness, now has an opening and pathway to explore and build her somatic intelligence muscle. She can explore operating from a bigger source of wisdom. 

Let’s welcome the word somatic into our common language, and welcome Somatic Finance into our personal and collective money operating systems. I’m thrilled to explore and lead the way.

Leading from my soma,


Tiny Body Practice

Crossings – a bridge (a mountain, a stream, an ocean)

Sometimes we are making a significant crossing, like a mountain. Sometimes we are simply crossing a street. Our attention is typically captured by the bigger crossings in our life. However, we can intentionally build stronger muscles with all of our crossings – like using suspension bridges on our nature hikes!

How do we want to experience our crossings?
How can we build new capacities?
What can we learn?

First we acknowledge our crossing.
Then we give attention to how (i.e. kindly, easefully, joyfully) we want to cross.
Then we begin to step into our experience.
Be present to what arises on each step.

On the other side, reflect upon:

1) what happened before you began,
2) your experience crossing, and
3) what you are feeling, thinking and seeing on the other side.


What is Somatic? – Deepening Practice

by Gayle | Jun 24, 2021

Hi, Wonderful You,

Happy Summer Solstice!

Let’s continue our conversation about the word and meaning of Somatic and engage a deeper Crossings practice.

Tiny Body Practice

Listen to the practice as an audio.

Crossings – a bridge (a mountain, a stream, an ocean)

Sometimes we are making a significant crossing, like a mountain. Sometimes we are simply crossing a street. Our attention is typically captured by the bigger crossings in our life. However, we can practice with all of our crossings – even suspension bridges that show up on our nature hikes.

How do we want to experience our crossings?

First, we acknowledge our crossing.

Then we give attention to how (i.e., kindly, easefully, joyfully) we want to cross.

Then we step into our experience with whole body awareness.

Be present to what arises on each step.

Capture learnings.

Repeat.

Recognize our body is present with each and every crossing, large or small.

Practice Preparation

Ask, what am I crossing? What is my situation? What metaphor aligns with my experience?

A mountain (getting married).

A stream (having a root canal).

A bridge (leaving one job for another).

A street (completing a task in service of life).

All crossings matter. Choose one to practice.

Practice

Choose to engage one or more of the ways noted below to practice your crossing.

  1. Visualize – sitting or lying comfortably receive question with eyes closed.
  2. Write – sitting comfortably with pen and paper receive question and write answers unedited. 
  3. Walk– standing erect receive a question, walk and wonder with discovery.

Ask a question and take three deep breaths allowing your whole body to engage discovery.

What is my crossing?

What do I think? (judgements, stories, beliefs…)

How am I going? (fast, slow, cautious, excited, habitual…)

Describe my body sensations. (Pressure, temperature, movement…)

What feelings are present? (fear, sadness, joy, anger…)

What am I taking with me?

What am I leaving behind?

What do I gain?

What do I lose?

Let the questions and answers go.

Stand where you are now, and look to where you are going.

Let the following curious wonder question walk beside you:

Hmm, I wonder how my body, mind and spirit weave together and support me on my crossings?