The Somatic Self
The “somatic self” experiences and reacts to life intuitively and instinctively. It is the part of our self that reacts depending on whether or not we feel safe, nurtured, supported, loved, and connected to the overall fabric of life. It is the part of our self that plays a major role in determining our physical health and emotional well-being. The somatic self regulates all of the body's processes. (Blood flow, bloo
d pressure, digestion, elimination, immune response, etc. etc.) To a large extent it is the activity of these bodily processes that leads to the way we feel emotionally, as well as physically. No matter how much the “cognitive self” might try and tell the somatic self to “shape up and get a grip on life” we discover we are not able to change our behavior unless our somatic-emotional response to circumstances is a “Yes” or “Go for it!”