How To Know If You’re Ready For Somatic Work
You might be wondering how to know when you're ready for somatic work or if it might be right for you. Honestly, it’s not because you need to be fixed or healed, somatic work can come in at any moment you feel called to drop into your body. In fact, somatic work has a magical way of expanding your capacity wherever you're at, so really it brings in expansion, increases your resilience, enables you to hold more and at the end of the day switch off and be present.
My Personal Perspective With Somatic Work
To me, somatic work is opening a dialogue with your body by listening to what it has to say and making space for that. Our body holds the wisdom of 1000’s lives but so much of the Western world is disconnecting us from our bodies, keeping us in our heads and not giving us space to let our bodies talk.
Talk Therapy vs. Somatic Practices
And don’t worry, I love talking, (Gemini here). Talk therapy has become so popular which I love. However, talk therapy and somatic practices work in different, but beautifully complementary, ways. Talk-based approaches like CBT are “top-down,” meaning they start with thoughts and behaviors to help shift emotions, which can be great for insight, resilience, and understanding patterns.
Somatic work is “bottom-up,” focusing on the body, things like: breath, tension, posture, and sensation to help the nervous system move out of fight, flight, or freeze and into regulation. Somatics help release stress and trauma that’s been stored in the body, often without needing to retell the whole story. This offers a more complete kind of healing by understanding what happened and helping the body feel safe enough to let it go.
Common signs from my experience that you're ready for somatic work
You notice patterns you can’t think your way out of, you try for a few days to install a new habit but find yourself not being able to make it stick
You’re curious about your body’s responses (even if confused by them)
You feel called to slow down, soften, or listen more deeply, but might have a resistance to this way of working
You know your body is trying to tell you something but you feel like you can’t figure out what it is!
3 Common Myths About Somatic Practice
There are a few myths I want to debunk about being ready.
1. You have to know what you're feeling.
Somatic work is exactly the support that will help you understand what you're feeling and how your body wants to communicate that with you.
2. You believe that your body is too much, or the narrative of “I feel too much”
If you’ve felt this way, I invite you to think how wonderful it would be to have a space where your body is held fully, where you can express yourself fully, where being a big feeler is celebrated.
3. “I’m too shut down…”
Which, by the way is a nervous system response. It could be freeze or fawn and is a clear sign that somatic work would be very supportive for you. In fact, somatic work will gently open you up to feeling and sensation.
What It’s Like Working With Me
My work is done with so much integrity that it’s important to share when somatic work isn’t a fit and when it might not be the right moment for you.
If you are in an active crisis and need urgent support, please reach out to your doctor or mental health practitioner.
4 Reflection questions to ask if you're ready for somatic work:
When I slow down and check in with my body right now, what do I notice: sensations, emotions, or impulses (even subtle ones)?
How does my body respond to the idea of somatic work—does it feel curious, cautious, open, neutral, or something else?
What feels like a yes for me at this moment: going slowly, learning more, having support, or simply noticing without changing anything?
How does giving my body more support feel?
Readiness isn’t something you earn or check off a list; it’s a relationship you build with your body over time. Your nervous system has its own timing, and learning to trust that rhythm is part of the work itself. Rather than rushing for answers, this is an invitation to stay curious, keep listening, and let clarity unfold at a pace that feels supportive to you.
If you’re feeling curious, you don’t have to explore somatic work alone. SEEN is my Somatic Embodiment Intensive, a space designed for moving at your own pace, with choice, and nervous-system support at the centre. There’s no rush, just an open invitation to learn more, join when it feels right, or simply feel into what resonates for you right now. If you want to talk more about somatic work, DM me here or email me at [email protected]. I can’t wait to hear from you! Em x
