The Wisdom of Our Body: The Felt Body
We already know, what embodiment and mindfulness is, but do we really understand, how it helps us reconnect and reduce stress?
In this process, a somatic approach is key. Soma, or in other words, the “felt body,” is the inner, subjective experience of how we live in our body from the inside. This concept is fundamentally different from Physis, the “physical body” that we see and measure from the outside.
The essence of somatic practices is to find our way back to our Soma and reunite the body and mind. Somatic movement is an experiential form of learning that helps us recognize the subtle impulses and sensations that guide our daily movements and behavior. By becoming aware of our internal processes—for example, our breathing, the distribution of our weight, or the tension in our muscles—we enter into a deeper relationship with ourselves. This inner attention is the key to recognizing the physical signs of stress or mental fatigue before they become overwhelming. Thus, somatic movement is not just a physical exercise, but a kind of self-discovery journey through which we learn to read the messages sent by our body and respond to them.
Movement, and especially dance, is a gateway through which we can rediscover our body’s wisdom. As Sabine Parzer, the founder of the Holistic Dance Institute, explained, dance and somatic movement in general are a way to reconnect with our body and our inner world. Our body and our feelings are closely connected. Emotions are not just abstract thoughts; they live and act within the body, whether in muscle tension, heartbeat, or breathing rhythm. This connection is two-way: feelings influence our movements and posture, but movement also affects our emotions. A simple movement can help release inner tension and give way to blocked energy. Movement improvisation, as the basis of somatic practices, allows the body to express itself freely beyond ingrained, habitual patterns. This freedom helps to release behavioral and emotional blocks and can provide new, creative responses to everyday challenges.
Somatic movement and dance go deeper than mere physical activity. Their goal is to embark on a path of personal development with the help of movement, dance, and body awareness. The aim of somatic movement forms is personal development, not clinical therapy. It’s a journey during which we get to know ourselves more deeply through the improvisation of movement and dance. During the dance, participants discover how their movements are connected to their emotions and how they can create new, positive patterns with the help of their body and mind.
The essence of the somatic movement approach is that it considers the human being as a whole: body, soul, and spirit. The resulting dance is not a pre-choreographed form of movement, but a free, improvisational process in which the dancer pays attention to their inner impulses and sensations. This kind of attention allows for the discovery of inner resources, creativity, and “somatic intelligence.” Somatic intelligence, which is the recognition and application of our body’s wisdom, is particularly important for teachers, as it helps them recognize and manage the early signs of burnout, maintain mental and physical health, and prevent the long-term negative effects of stress.
The somatic approach is an invitation to play and let go, where the joy of movement is the main goal. It doesn’t matter how you move; what matters is that you move. As Sabine Parzer also said, our body knows exactly what it needs, and it’s easiest to connect with it through movement. Somatic dance is not therapy, but it has a healing effect, as it helps us find our way back to our own inner resources and thus improve our quality of life.
… and when we are already talking about dance, we cannot avoid an important topic: touch, and touching. Let’s see how we get from getting connected with our body to getting connected with others – and then also understand some biology behind it.
Resources:
If you would like to learn more about Sabine Parzer’s work and the holistic dance she teaches, please visit the website of the Holistic Dance Institute: www.holistic-dance.at.
You can find an interview with her from a previous Erasmus+ project here: https://joy-experience.eu/media/joy-handbook-en.pdf