What Is Somatics — And How Does It Actually Work?

If someone recently suggested somatic healing to you, you might be wondering:

“Is that yoga?”
“Is that therapy?”
“Do I have to talk about my childhood for years?”
“Will someone tell me to ‘breathe through it’ while I panic?”

Let’s slow that down.
Somatics is none of that — and a bit of all of it — but in a very different way.

A Simple Way to Say It

Somatics is about listening to the body — not forcing it to change.

It’s a way of working with stress, trauma, emotions, and patterns through direct bodily experience, rather than only through thinking, analyzing, or talking. And yes, sometimes we use a movement to tune into the body, to cultivate the inner relationship, to express things which we might not have the exact words for in the moment.

Instead of asking “Why am I like this?” or “What is wrong with me?”, somatic approach gently asks:
“What is happening in my body right now — and what does it need?”

And surprisingly often, that question alone starts to change things.

But yes, sometimes we visit the painful experience from the past, through the gateway of how does it live in your body right now. Checking, what hasn’t been completed then or which need hasn’t been met. Slowing it down. And allowing your system to bring the answer.

Why Talking Isn’t Always Enough

Many women who come to somatic work are already very self-aware.

They’ve done therapy.
They’ve read the books.
They understand their patterns intellectually.

And yet:

• anxiety still lives in the chest
• sleep doesn’t come easily
• relationship to food is complicated or dysregulated
• the body feels tense, numb, or not quite “home”
• certain situations trigger reactions that feel bigger than the moment

This isn’t because you’re doing something wrong.

It’s because the nervous system doesn’t update through insight alone.

Trauma — and chronic stress — are not just memories.
They are patterns of protection held in the body: in breath, muscles, posture, digestion, heart rate, and attention.

That’s where somatics comes in.

What Somatics Actually Works With

Somatic work focuses on the nervous system — first of all exploring, how it learned to keep you safe.

Your body is constantly asking questions like:

• Am I safe here?
• Do I need to brace, please, freeze, or run?
• Can I rest — or should I stay alert?

If you’ve lived through trauma, chronic stress, migration, war, relational rupture, or prolonged uncertainty (hello, life in Israel), your nervous system may have learned that being on guard is necessary.

Somatics doesn’t try to convince your body otherwise.
It helps your body experience safety in small, real, doable moments — so it can slowly update its own expectations and the nervous system response becomes more flexible, responsive to the actual situation, unburdened from the past (unprocessed) experiences.

So… What Happens in a Somatic Session?

This often surprises people.

There is no pushing.
No aim for catharsis.
No pressure to “release” anything.

Instead, we start with building somatic awareness, we work with:

• ability to notice sensations
• attunement
• orientation
• micro-movements
• noticing impulses (without acting them)
• choice, pacing, and consent
• tracking what feels supportive vs. too much
• creating bigger reservoir of resources (bigger capacity to deal with and enjoy life)
• reconnecting with inner rhythms

You might sit.
You might move slowly.
You might lie down.
You might speak — or not.

You might receive small homework to integrate these into your life.

And something important happens:
your system starts to feel itself again.

That’s how regulation grows. There is when the deeper work like processing and transformation can start.

Why Trauma-Informed Matters (Especially Now)

In today’s world — and very much in Israel — nervous systems are stretched thin.

Even if you weren’t directly harmed, ongoing instability, the cellular memory of sirens, and collective emotions tax the system.

A trauma-informed approach means:

• nothing is forced
• your pace is respected
• symptoms are seen as intelligent responses, not problems
• safety is built gradually, not assumed
• you stay in choice

This is especially important for women who are sensitive, empathic, or have a history of:

• eating disorders
• body image struggles
• anxiety or panic
• sleep disturbances
• developmental or relational trauma
• migration or identity transitions

Without trauma sensitivity, body-based work can overwhelm rather than help.

With it, the body can finally exhale.

A Bit of My Story

I didn’t come to somatics because everything was calm and balanced. I came because — despite yoga, meditation, and understanding myself quite well — something deeper needed attention.

Over time, through my own healing and professional training (Somatic Experiencing, trauma-sensitive yoga, and somatic coaching), I saw this again and again:

To start healing, people don’t need someone to fix them.
They need conditions that allow safety to re-emerge.

That’s the heart of my work today — whether in one-on-one sessions or small group spaces.

Who Is Somatics For?

Somatic work may be supportive for you if:

• you feel anxious or on edge “for no clear reason”
• your body doesn’t feel like a safe place yet
• you struggle with rest, sleep, or digestion
• emotions feel overwhelming or hard to access
• you override your needs to cope
• talking helps — but doesn’t fully change how you feel

You don’t need to have “big trauma” for somatics to be relevant. Your nervous system doesn’t measure worthiness by comparison.

What Changes Over Time?

Somatic work doesn’t promise a sudden transformation.

Instead, people often notice:

• more capacity to pause
• clearer boundaries
• improved sleep
• softer inner dialogue
• better connection to hunger, fullness, and rest
• feeling more at home in the body
• less fear of sensations and emotions
• bigger capacity to make aligned choices

Small shifts — that add up to a different way of being.

One Last Thing

Somatics is not about becoming someone else.

It’s about remembering how it feels to be you — without constantly bracing, suppressing yourself or overriding your needs.

And in a world that asks women to adapt endlessly, that remembering is quietly radical.

If you’re curious, you’re welcome to explore this work with me — gently, respectfully, and at your pace.

Šárka
Wildflower Somatics