Spiritual Somatics Coaching Techniques
Feel & Process
Feel and Process allows us to begin to metabolize stuck trauma in the body, and to investigate what is triggering us. As coaches, we celebrate when clients are triggered because this is an opportunity to heal!
Remember: all emotions are just vibrations. There are no “good” and “bad” vibrations! Vibrations just are. Often emotions can feel big and overwhelming, particularly when the nervous system is still in a heightened state.
For Feel and Process:
1) Begin by getting the client’s Baseline Vibration.
2) Invite them to pull up the recent event in their body that left them in a triggered state.
3) Ask them to temporarily “merge” with it so that we can get the data, and remind them they have access to their Destination Vibration if it starts to feel too intense.
4) Begin guiding them into their body just as you do with a basic Body Scan:
o Where are you noticing sensations?
o What are the qualities of these sensations? Is there a shape, color, texture, temperature?
5) Encourage them to simply be with the sensations without rushing ahead to create a mind story about them, or to connect them with a memory. Create space to simply be with them. Hold the container so that they feel safe enough to stay here with them.
6) When it feels appropriate, gently guide them up to their mind to notice any mind patterns or stories that they are projecting onto these sensations. Remember, mind stories piggy back onto the emotions, but these are separate processes and events in the body. We want to slow it down and decouple them.
7) Invite the client to name any mind stories that they are witnessing out loud. Invite them to witness and hold space for these stories without judgement (clients will be quick to rationalize why they “shouldn’t” think something. We want to show them it’s okay to bring all parts of themselves to the table).
8) Then, guide them back into their torso (or Heart if you are able), and ask if they can simply accept that these vibrations and stories are living inside of them. We want to get them to a place of acceptance before we go further. If they are having a hard time here, you can gently ask them, “what’s the hardest part of accepting that these vibrations and stories are living inside of you?” This will usually elicit an emotional response, and you can simply say, “let’s sit with that and just be with these emotions that are coming up for you here.”
9) When it feels appropriate, begin to ask them if there’s been another time that they have experienced these sensations and stories in their body. Encourage them to remain open to
any images or memories that surface in their mind, and to trust their bodies to show them what wants to arise, even if it’s not the memory they would think would come to mind. If it brings them to a particular time in their life rather than a specific memory, ask them if they have any specific memories from around that time that they would like to do some work with. Let them know the specific memory almost doesn’t matter, it’s just going to allow us to access the vibrations.
10) Here you do the process again:
o Invite them to pull up that memory and try it on so you can get the data
o Ask them to share with you the specifics so that you can be with them in this memory
o Have them watch the situation play out like it did in 3D, and then ask them, what were you feeling in this moment? Sit with them with that emotion. Be a compassionate witness.
11) Ask if there’s anything that they needed to say, or do, in that moment to speak their truth and stay in integrity with themselves (which is to say, they maintain their power and inner alignment).
12) Assure them that this is Spirit time, and there’s no physical repercussions. They can say or do anything nobody will be physically or emotionally hurt. This is just to rewrite the memory so they can release the energetic charge out of their field.
13) If they are having a hard time and are not sure what to do, you can try on the situation and suggestion, “when I try it on I want to say X, or do Y”
14) If people are carrying a lot of trauma in the Sacral Chakra, they will not have much access to their Imagination, so you may need to do more work here to help them visual and play out other pathways.
15) People will often try to be “Spiritual” and stay kind. They don’t want you to judge them! Let them know you won’t judge they can kick, scream, swear, be mean . . . this is just for them to get the energy out of their field. Often what they will need to say is at the developmental level they were at the time of the wound (A 5 year old response will differ from a 16 year old, or 38 year old response).
16) When they have rewritten this memory, invite them to check in with their body and notice what it feels like to have stayed in their Truth.
17) Then, invite that younger (now rescued, empowered) self into the more recent trigger. Have them ask that younger self for advice on what to do or say so that they can stand in their Truth.
18) When it feels complete have them thank their younger self for coming and doing work with them, and let them know that they can call on them any time they need some support. We want these inner parts to work together!
19) When it feels appropriate, slowly invite them to deepen the breath and return to the space as they are ready.
20) Encourage them to be tender with themselves and to journal anything that came up that that they don’t want to forget, as the details will begin to fade as they come back into Ego self.