Noticing | 2
Crunching snow, techno beats, and bodymind
The following are senses that I call up when explaining somatics to folks, the “other senses”, as opposed to sight, sound, touch, taste, smell. This recurring series will include moments from my week that I noticed particular sensations, big or small, as a way to share with you about my week, and also to provide an example of what somatics even is. Enjoy!
I am a being in the realm of somatic sex education, ancestral healing, erotic healing, kink, relationship anarchy, polyamory, geomancy, and a constellation of anything else you’ve seen written here. If you would like to work with me one-on-one in any of these realms you can book with me here. Clients in the Hudson Valley are encouraged to reach out to book in-person sessions. My books are closing Feb. 14 and will reopen later in the year. If you’ve been waiting, now is the time.
Temperature
My body unwinding in a warm car after a run through the cold snow.
The grounded refreshing crispiness of cold air.
Hot water bottle on achey muscles after deadlifting.
Texture
Crunching snow under my boots.
Weight
The weight of thoughts and processing running in the background was noticeable this week. Feelings my heart is carrying, problems I’m trying to solve. I feel these on my shoulders and in my chest. They feel a little lighter with a slow deep breath.
Movement
I motivated myself going to the gym this week by “training” for dancing at techno shows. This, this, and this were sets I enjoyed this week. Something I notice about this music in particular is how it creates an urge for movement in my body, and that dancing to this music is like letting go into the urge, and following it all the way through without thinking.
I know I basically just put a lot of words to what dancing is, but it took me a long time to figure out what dancing felt like, and how to unwind particular nervous system patterns in my body to let go fully into the music. If that’s also you, maybe this is a nice breadcrumb.
Interoception
I had a chat with my friend this week about how the body creates our mental state. Like if my shoulders are all the way up to my ears, then it’s no wonder that my mind is thinking crazy anxious shit.
This is a tool that I live with constantly, when I begin to notice my mental chatter ramping up to anxious thoughts, I tune into where my body is aching or tense, and try to bring some relief or softness to that area, or focus on an area of my body that feels good (usually this is my feet). Then my mental chatter goes away.
The sator squares of gains is so good lol