During my formative years as a Somatics practitioner in the 2010s, my journey into somatics began with training in Clinical (Hanna) Somatics, which primarily focused on remedial work. The aim was to address and clear Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) by dealing with dormant possibilities—patterns that had been inhibited or forgotten due to stress or trauma. This foundational training was instrumental in my understanding of the body-mind connection and the processes involved in restoring lost functionality and awareness.
However, as my exploration deepened, I realised there was much more to uncover beyond remedial somatics. This shift was significantly inspired by reading a book by Nora Owens, which introduced the idea of dormant and latent somatic potentials. This distinction was a revelation for me. While dormant potentials refer to capabilities that have been suppressed and need reactivation, latent potentials are sensory-motor patterns that have never been activated in the first place.
The concept of latency became a focal point in my evolving understanding of somatics. I began to see that my work could extend beyond remedial actions into awakening latent possibilities—those hidden capacities within our soma that await activation. This insight gradually shifted my practice from a primarily remedial focus to one of deeper exploration and awakening.
A New Perspective: Somatics as an Awakening Process
Later I was introduced to the notion of “Spirit is Waking Up,” by Stephen Gilligan in his Generative Trance work and this resonated deeply with me. It expanded my view of somatics to include not just healing and recovery, but a profound awakening process. This approach aligned with my emerging understanding that our bodies hold vast, untapped potentials that can be awakened through conscious exploration.
My encounter with Don Stapleton’s “Self-Awakening Yoga” further enriched this perspective. Here, the focus was on facilitating personal awakening and encouraging others to discover new levels of awareness, understanding, and mobility. This self-initiated exploration aligned with my growing belief that somatics could guide us towards an evolving, dynamic state of being rather than simply restoring a previous state of balance.
The Metaphor of Transformation: From Caterpillar to Butterfly
Reading works by Jean Houston and Anneloes Smitsman introduced me to a powerful metaphor: the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. This metaphor encapsulated the essence of what I had been sensing and striving to articulate in my practice. The caterpillar’s transformation involves a profound dissolution—a melting into a goo-like state within the cocoon, where the old form disintegrates, making way for the new.
In this fluid state, imaginal cells—latent elements within the caterpillar—begin to orchestrate the emergence of the butterfly. These cells, which had always existed as latent possibilities, become active and initiate a process of profound change. The new form of the butterfly is not a reawakening of the caterpillar’s dormant aspects but the actualisation of latent potentials that had been encoded within the caterpillar’s soma, awaiting a particular point in it’s development to manifest.
Embracing Evolutionary Somatics
This metaphor deeply influenced my approach to somatics, transitioning from merely addressing stress reflexes and clearing SMA to fostering a deeper awakening within the soma. Evolutionary somatics, as I now understand and practise it, is about activating both dormant and latent potentials. It’s about facilitating a transformation that goes beyond recovery and into the realm of evolution and awakening.
The journey of evolutionary somatics is akin to the butterfly’s emergence—it involves a dynamic interplay between dissolution and creation, between dormant reawakening and latent activation. It’s a process of becoming something entirely new, encoded within us but requiring the right conditions to come forth.
Moving Forward
As I continue to evolve in my approach to Somatics, my focus remains on this transformative process. I am committed to exploring and facilitating the awakening of dormant and more recently the latent potentials within the soma. This journey has not only deepened my understanding of somatics but also opened up new realms of possibility for myself and those I work with.
Evolutionary somatics invites us to embrace the full spectrum of our potential, guiding us towards a more profound, dynamic state of being. It’s a path of awakening, where the latent possibilities within us can emerge, leading to a new way of living and experiencing the world.
Recent Comments