Four years ago I had no idea what “somatics” meant. Frankly, I thought it was a typo when I first saw it in print. Thankfully I’ve become much more familiar with this practice and why it should be an integral part of any leadership or personal development training.

At the general meeting in April, my colleague and friend Bob Bates will take us on a journey. No matter how many times he speaks and writes about this topic, I’m amazed at the depths still to be discovered.

After breaking free of two decades in the corporate world, I realized I was holding on to some very bad leadership habits. Sitting at the executive table felt like playing a masters-level game of chess. I was a head case. I lived in my head. It was all about controlling my thoughts, calculating my next move, and carefully crafting what I communicated. As you can imagine it was an exhausting place to dwell.

For those new to the concept, somatics goes beyond being physically aware. It’s about tapping into the innate wisdom that your body holds. The term somatics comes from Greek origins, meaning “relating to the body.” In somatic coaching and leadership development, it refers to involving physical practices that act as metaphors for how we operate in the world. It synchronizes the energy of the body with speech and mind using emotions and intuition.

I wish I knew Bob and about Somatics back in my corporate days. Thankfully I was introduced to him when launching myself as a consultant. So far I’ve learned some very powerful tools:
To use the head-heart-belly connection to have more confidence advocating my point of view without aggression.
To lead from a more grounded state.
To embrace my strengths while simultaneously not beat myself up for my weaknesses.

At April’s meeting, be prepared for a different kind of presentation. Learning about somatics is physical. Don’t worry, you won’t be doing jumping jacks in high heels. However, you will be learning tools that integrate the mind-body connection. Knowing Bob, he’ll make it powerful and fun.

 

If you liked this, share on one of these sites:

Leave A Comment

business resilienceFive ways to increase your business resilience
WIC Community InvitedRefresh Your Marketing Plan