Sense Archives - Somatic Therapy Asia https://www.somatictherapy.asia/tag/sense/ Movement, Inquiry, Embodiment Sat, 22 Jan 2022 12:37:25 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://i0.wp.com/www.somatictherapy.asia/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-favicon-e1619080933140.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Sense Archives - Somatic Therapy Asia https://www.somatictherapy.asia/tag/sense/ 32 32 202510029 Abdominal Self Massage https://www.somatictherapy.asia/abdominal-self-massage/ https://www.somatictherapy.asia/abdominal-self-massage/#respond Fri, 05 Nov 2021 19:24:36 +0000 https://www.somatictherapy.asia/?p=2969 The post Abdominal Self Massage appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

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Do you know that the fascia in and around the abdominal area can get really sticky and gooey from sedentary lifestyle, bad diet and stress triggers?

And bloating in this area can also lead to back pain, neck and shoulder tension, a sense of being “uprooted”, and more anxiety?

This is a simple 10 mins gentle self massage for the belly area to release tension and bloating, tone our vagal nerve (reset our nervous system), and reconnect with our navel centre which is the core of our being.
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#somawithdaphne#yogawithdaphne#abdominalselfmassage#yogatherapy#somatictherapy#selfcare#fasciastuff#abdominalfascia#vagaltone#nervousystemreset

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on September 30th 2020

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]]> https://www.somatictherapy.asia/abdominal-self-massage/feed/ 0 2969 Finding support from your bones https://www.somatictherapy.asia/finding-support-from-your-bones/ https://www.somatictherapy.asia/finding-support-from-your-bones/#respond Fri, 05 Nov 2021 19:15:25 +0000 https://www.somatictherapy.asia/?p=2943 A lot of tension in the body is often created through accumulative tension in the muscles, either through compensatory movement habits or through our stress response. We tend to forget that our skeletal elements such as the bones and ligaments give us form and alignment. These elements also provide proprioceptive feedback so we get a […]

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]]> A lot of tension in the body is often created through accumulative tension in the muscles, either through compensatory movement habits or through our stress response. We tend to forget that our skeletal elements such as the bones and ligaments give us form and alignment. These elements also provide proprioceptive feedback so we get a sense of where we are in relationship to space and gravity. They offer us stability and support without bracing.

On the other hand, muscles do the work of mobility, muscle fibres fire and contract to help us move through / across space Muscles and our bones work symbiotically for optimal functioning in stability and mobility.

However, what happens is that we often get stuck to trying to achieve a form or a goal, or we are rushing to get somewhere, or to perform a task based on what we think it should look like and if it fits certain mould. When our nervous system is constantly wired to react to stress and the constant need to “try harder”, the muscles take over the direction of the bones. We tend to get set in movement habits that are driven from the perspective that we are a machine made of parts rather than an relational organism.

This is a little somatic practice of exploring the support we can create if we bring awareness to our bones / ligament and movement continuity. The dynamic fluidity to respond rather than react. So we can create more healthy bone and joint health, as well as regulate our nervous system to come into a sense of being rather than having to do more all the time.
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#bodymindcentering#somatics#somaticmovementeducation#somatictherapy#somawithdaphne
#yogawithdaphne#movementinquiryembodiment#bonehealth#osteopathy
#yogatherapy#somaticyoga


This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on November 9th 2020

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]]> https://www.somatictherapy.asia/finding-support-from-your-bones/feed/ 0 2943 Our embodied self-image https://www.somatictherapy.asia/our-embodied-self-image/ https://www.somatictherapy.asia/our-embodied-self-image/#respond Fri, 05 Nov 2021 16:21:58 +0000 https://www.somatictherapy.asia/?p=3934 This week’s sharing on #somawithDaphneandLucy: YOUR SELF IMAGE.How long are your arms? How wide is your chest? What does it mean to straighten your knees? And how accurately are your answers meeting your physical reality?.It almost comes as a surprise, after living with and in our body for so long, that we’re not born with a […]

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]]> This week’s sharing on #somawithDaphneandLucy
: YOUR SELF IMAGE
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How long are your arms? How wide is your chest? What does it mean to straighten your knees? And how accurately are your answers meeting your physical reality?
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It almost comes as a surprise, after living with and in our body for so long, that we’re not born with a defined self image. We’re not born knowing we have a body.
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When a baby is born into this world, their knowing is still of union (with the mother). Through experience they begin to recognise that there’s a differentiation between “self” and the “other”. This differentiation is gradually learnt through the senses.
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Through touch, movement, and gravity, along with sight, smell, hearing and taste, our sensory system put together a complex map of references, creating and ever refining our self image.
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How many times have you seen a baby with his hands and feet stuck in his mouth? Since the mouth is extremely rich in sensory receptors, and the baby’s source of finding nourishment through the oral rooting reflex, it also becomes a key starting point to begin exploring our environment. Figuring out the world by putting objects close to the mouth and the lips to learn about shapes and textures, and also investigating whether that object is or isn’t a part of “self”. Measuring the body’s length and size by bringing the distal limbs to the centre of the inner mapping (head and torso), examining the shape of the body through rolling, the ground offering a mirror as the body is being touched by the surface underneath, and thus distinguishing the outside world by touching something we don’t feel as part of “self”…Through touch we learn about the environment we inhabit in, and by being touched we learn about ourselves.
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Our self image is being crafted and refined day by day. And there’s many more factors contributing to it like the vestibular system (sense of gravity, balance, and proprioception), vision, our muscular-skeletal system including the tendons and ligaments, our experiences of pain, emotions, social and cultural conditioning, belief systems etc..
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Our perceived sense of what is an “upright” posture, having our arms “straight”, our perception of length, width, distance, depth or even what is “normal” will also differ from person to person.
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The knowing that this process is not just inherent but gained through experience, allows us to look at ourselves through fresh perspectives. Is my self-image complete? Do I know where every part of my body is? Is where I think I am relative to space and gravity accurate?
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Our sensory and motor neurons work hand-in-hand in a constant feedback loop, always communicating with each other. The way we stand, move, act and execute our desires through our muscular-skeletal system is based on this inner sensory map we’ve drawn. While we might plan with our body’s self image in mind, we execute through our actual body. If our self image is not accurate, there will also be a difference between the intended and the actual outcome of our actions.
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In order to improve the quality of your movement, address chronic pain and tension etc. we first have to explore what is actually there. Begin by mapping out your body and you’d be in awe with what you will uncover.
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“You cannot change what you do not know” ~ Moshe Feldenkreis.

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~ written by Lucie Krobova, edited by Daphne Chua 

This post was originally posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on May 25th 2020

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]]> https://www.somatictherapy.asia/our-embodied-self-image/feed/ 0 3934 Soma, Somatics & Embodiment https://www.somatictherapy.asia/soma-somatics-embodiment/ https://www.somatictherapy.asia/soma-somatics-embodiment/#respond Fri, 05 Nov 2021 12:29:57 +0000 https://www.somatictherapy.asia/?p=3889 Somatics and Embodiment are buzzwords in the yoga and movement community.With our combined experiences in Yoga, dance, and bodywork, both Lucie Krobová @explore_dance_movement and I hope to contribute a little more to the understanding of Somatic therapy and embodiment in this series of informative posts titled #somawithDaphneandLucyWe feel this is particularly pertinent during this volatile period in which […]

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]]> Somatics and Embodiment are buzzwords in the yoga and movement community.
With our combined experiences in Yoga, dance, and bodywork, both Lucie Krobová @explore_dance_movement and I hope to contribute a little more to the understanding of Somatic therapy and embodiment in this series of informative posts titled #somawithDaphneandLucy
We feel this is particularly pertinent during this volatile period in which we find ourselves having to surrender our individual agency in serving the greater good of the community we are a part of.

The word “Soma” comes from a Greek origin which translates to “The Living Body”, it’s the cosmic biological intelligence of our life force to self-organise, self regulate through the relational being of our body-mind the moment we are conceived.

Through inquiring into our soma, we begin to explore relationships between the microcosm and the macrocosm we inhabit through processes and body systems. We uncover our self image and gain insights into our habits and neurological patterning to create more choices in our responses to elements and people around us. The practice of embodying our soma calls upon our curiosity to sense and feel and be guided through what is arising from moment to moment.

Working with movement, breathwork, visualisation, touch and sound, this practice helps to regulate the nervous system, boost our immune system, and rewire our brain to move with greater ease and grace through life.

Is there a difference between Somatics and Embodiment?
Somatics is an embodiment practice and to become embodied means we are attuned to our soma. I guess they are inter-related but not exactly synonymous. Meaning that it’s both contextual and conceptual, i.e The embodiment process requires a somatic perspective so that our actions are guided by an authentic, relational intent.
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#somatics #embodiment #embodiedpractice #yogatherapy #soma #movement #breathwork #somaticmovement #somaticyoga #visualisation #bodywork #soundtherapy #therapy # nervoussystem #education #livingbody #bodyintelligence #innerknowledge #somaticeducation #yogaeducation #dancetherapy #yogawithdaphne #exploredancemovement #movingfromwithin20

This post was originally posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on April 21st 2020

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]]> https://www.somatictherapy.asia/soma-somatics-embodiment/feed/ 0 3889 Ground Zero https://www.somatictherapy.asia/ground-zero/ https://www.somatictherapy.asia/ground-zero/#respond Tue, 02 Nov 2021 13:06:59 +0000 https://www.somatictherapy.asia/?p=3790 When I’m drowning In the deep dark waters of emotionsWindmills spinning fiercelyIn my tangled mindLooping thoughtsFueling desiresScalding impulses When I’m trapped in these claustrophobic spirals…Just for a moment I let my cold feet sink into the bare earthRetreat under the tone of the droneThe static of why, and how, and what, and if’s… The urgency to find cool reliefFrom […]

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]]> When I’m drowning 
In the deep dark waters of emotions
Windmills spinning fiercely
In my tangled mind
Looping thoughts
Fueling desires
Scalding impulses

When I’m trapped in these 
claustrophobic spirals…
Just for a moment 
I let my cold feet 
sink into the bare earth
Retreat under the tone of the drone
The static of why, and how, and what, and if’s…

The urgency to find cool relief
From interpretations, narratives
The rut of cause and effect 
Of past and future
Shackled to a conditioned self…
Just for a while
I close my eyes 
From the realm of understanding

I dive into the ocean of senses
With the fierce pounding 
of my heart in my ears
Undo the stifling corset of my skin 
The tautness of my belly yields
Breathes colours into 
the monochrome of my bones
Space. Life. Light. Fluids.
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This embodied presence
A gift of attunement
A primordial calling through 
Our cellular breath
A biological blueprint 
of revelry of wonderment
A timeless infinite

Photo by Rod Willner

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on April 16th 2019

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