5 Common Misconceptions About Somatic Awareness

And the key nuances that make the difference

Hi dear people,

The word “somatic” is buzzing right now. I use it a lot myself, too.

For some, it refers to body-based therapies; for others, it’s about nervous system awareness or trauma healing.

Because it covers such a wide range, understanding the nuances helps us connect more deeply with what somatic awareness can be—both in healing and in how we live our lives.

Here are 5 misconceptions I’ve personally encountered, along with some counterintuitive perspectives:

1. Somatic awareness is about being calm, relaxed and feeling good all the time

Tuning in to your body sometimes means you’ll discover pain, discomfort, or clear messages to slow down, rest, or say no more often. These can feel confronting and may ask you to do things differently than you’re used to.

Sometimes, dropping into the body can be deeply relaxing and pleasant — and this should be one of the goals when building a connection with your body (but that’s a conversation for another time).

Still, the reality is that, at first, being in the body might not always feel good.

2. I exercise — that means I’m connected to my body, doesn’t it?

Movement can be somatic, but not all movement is inherently somatic.

Having a movement practice that is somatic is not about what you do, but about being aware of how you feel while you’re doing it.

You can do yoga three times a week but still perform the poses mechanically or prioritise the teacher’s instructions over your own felt experience.

True somatic movement creates awareness of subtle sensations and connections in your body that are easy to miss when you’re chasing an outcome.

3. Somatic awareness means you are always in your body

Actually, you don’t need to be inward-focused and tracking body sensations 24/7. Quite the contrary.

You get to choose where to place your attention and energy at any given moment, based on life’s demands and what you actually want to experience.

You stay aware of what’s happening inside you while staying connected to your environment and the people in it.

You know how to go inward when it’s needed, and you also know how to anchor yourself in the beauty and goodness of the world.

It’s the art of internal/external orientation—both important resources for a resilient, connected life.

4. It is exclusively about the body and physicality, and never about the mind

Your thoughts, feelings, and emotions are part of your body. Being somatically aware means noticing how you respond when you think certain thoughts or feel certain things.

In turn, this helps you see how you move through the world and the choices you make.

It connects feeling, thought, and action (not always in that order) and helps you sort your experience into clear layers.

It also allows you to switch between different channels of perception — thought, sensation, emotion — and notice how being in each channel feels.

5. Being somatically aware means agreeing with everything the body tells you

This is one of the trickiest misconceptions.

We often hear “Listen to your body.” But what if your body’s messages are shaped learnt patterns that no longer suit you?

What if following your body’s guidance sometimes leaves you feeling disempowered or disconnected from your life force?

This is where we bring in the Adult Self—the you that knows how you want to show up and can take responsibility for your choices.

For example, your body might say you’re too exhausted and need to cancel a date with a friend.

Or it might tell you that dealing with a new job opportunity before your holiday isn’t that urgent.

It might even tell you that your constant brain fog every time you sit down to work on your soul project probably means you’re not cut out for it.

Acting on these messages can also mean you are in a low-key freeze response that has historically kept you safe from failure, abandonment or rejection.

Somatic awareness helps you discern between an automatic default response and a conscious, chosen one.

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At its heart, somatic awareness is the art of tuning into our lived experience through the body — a personal journey for each of us.
It’s a state of presence that weaves coherence between what life brings and how we choose to meet it.

I’d love to know what you think about this topic 👇🏼

As always, thank you for being here ♡

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Ways to practice somatic awareness with me ❊

Somatics of Authenticity class - 16th July, 17:30 CEST

1:1 Somatic Coaching

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