Somatic Personal Training for Mental Health
Most of us know by now that exercise has huge benefits for mental health. But when you’ve been going through a lot, it can be hard to make that step to get into your body and move.
What if you had someone to help bring you back to yourself in a way and at a pace that feels natural for you?
Re-calibrating mind and body with somatic movement
Mindful exercise is all about getting your mind and body in sync. Somatic movement is a powerful way to build this connection because it’s all about developing finely tuned awareness of subtle sensations that tell you where you are in space, how gravity is acting upon you, and which tissues are relaxing or contracting.
Having a private coach to guide you through this reconnection process can be particularly beneficial for people going through mental health challenges. When we’re struggling emotionally, it’s common for our mind to pull away from the present moment, thus pulling awareness out of our body. Having a guide to compassionately bring you back to your body in these moments can help you reprogramme these patterns.
Connecting to your core
Before diving into sit-ups and planks, a somatic approach to core development means that we spend time developing an embodied understanding of your core. Mental health challenges are often associated with holding patterns in the abdomen, diaphragm and pelvic floor, as well as disconnection and numbness in these areas. As we learn to breathe, engage and relax this area, not only are we preparing to build physical strength — we’re also helping to rediscover your emotional stability as we move away from mental loops and into the embodied presence of your centre.
Once you can truly inhabit your core, developing strength and stability here can lead to an embodied sense of psychological and emotional strength.
Grounding through your legs
Building strength in your legs and hips has its obvious physical benefits, but being able to flush blood, fluids and energy into these big muscles can also help you self-regulate. A particular challenge for mental health is being able to shift from a state of distress or numbness into a state of presence and clarity. Being able to find your feet and physically ground yourself by sending force through your legs into the ground can be a powerful way to stabilise yourself — physically and emotionally.
In Somatic Personal Training we work on balance and generating power through your legs, starting with an ability to truly inhabit your legs with your awareness. This awareness alone can help quieten negative mental patterns and bring you into the moment; adding resistance and load then becomes a way to channel your power, strength and stability.
Resilience against stress
Fitness could be defined as resilience against physiological stress. This is what makes fitness so beneficial for physical and mental health. However, when you’re already challenged with mental health issues, it’s likely that this resilience needs to be built up from scratch. A key consideration to be aware of is your window of tolerance. This is a term used in nervous system reprogramming and trauma healing to describe the levels of stress you’re able to tolerate without spiralling into overwhelm or shutdown.
Somatic Personal Training respects your window of tolerance, helping you bring awareness to your levels of stress and overwhelm, and offering tools to help you regulate yourself. Over time, we’ll add intensity to your programme so you can develop your capacity to hold strong energy in your body, knowing you’re able to bring yourself back to calm.
Want to learn more?
If you’re interested in Somatic Personal Training in Surbiton or online, find out if this approach might work for you by booking a free consultation call with me through the link below.
