Exploring the Different Levels of Safety in Somatic Healing Work
The Importance of Safety in Somatic Healing Work
Have you ever tried somatic healing work? Somatic healing is a practice that involves working with your physical body to heal past traumas, emotions, and behaviors. It can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth. However, it is important to approach somatic healing work with caution, especially if you are a beginner.
Somatic work involves connecting your breath and movements to your body. By doing so, you initiate and activate emotional release from the cellular level. This can be a lot of energy and feelings to handle, and if not approached with care, it can trigger your nervous system to the point where you feel overwhelmed.
It is crucial to understand that there are different levels of somatic healing work, and each level requires a different level of safety and support. In this article, we will explore the three levels and provide tips to help you decide which level is right for you.
Level 1: Breathwork
Breathwork is an excellent place to start for beginners. It involves regulating your breath, emotions, and nervous system. There are many gentle breathwork techniques that can be done by anyone, and they are designed not to trigger your nervous system. If you are new to somatic healing work, we recommend starting with breathwork to regulate your breath and emotions.
Level 2: Gentle Movements
The second level of somatic work involves adding gentle movements to your breathwork practice. For example, you might try moving your hips or circling your ribcage. These movements can be done alone, but it is recommended to have a practitioner or facilitator present to help you interpret and integrate what is coming up. They can also help you co-create a safe container for the work.
Level 3: Deep Somatic Releases
The third level of somatic work involves deep somatic releases. This level requires a practitioner or facilitator to hold space for you. When you reach this level, your body will shake, and you may experience crying, revisiting the past, getting visuals, hearing voices, and shaking. It can be very disorienting, triggering, and re-triggering your nervous system. It is crucial to have a practitioner or facilitator present to help you navigate this level of somatic work.
Conclusion
It is essential to understand that each level of somatic work requires different levels of safety and support. If you are a beginner, we recommend starting with breathwork and only moving onto gentle movements and deep somatic releases when you feel ready.
Somatic healing work can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth. However, it is important to approach it with caution and care. We hope this article has helped you understand the different levels of somatic work and how to approach it safely.
If you are interested in becoming a breathwork practitioner, we invite you to join our Flow Breathwork Facilitator Training program. We provide amazing resources and tools to help you become a practitioner who can hold space for deep somatic releases.
Additional Resources
Check out The Playground Podcast episode on Exploring the Different Levels of Safety in Somatic Healing work here.
