Somatic Awareness

Working at the Body Therapy Institute has put me in this really amazing environment working with some very grounded, centered people. One thing I noticed right away was this concept of "somatic awareness" that was being referenced all the time. My new colleagues were happy to give me literature to catch me up to speed. Here is a passage from my latest reading material that I found enlightening: "A primary goal in working with someone therapeutically, artistically, or educationally is to bring them into contact with their energy, that is, into the experience of their lived body. The first step is to have the person identify with what they feel, to place their attention on what is occurring in their bodily life. Attending to what we feel takes us out of our heads and into the energetic currents of our body. Living in our bodies means living in the moment. Our energy and attention weave the tapestry of who we are- bodily, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually." -Richard Strozzi Heckler, The Anatomy of Change