SO•MA
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP FACILITATED SPACES
where embodiment meets creative practice within nature’s rhythms and cycles
From an early age, I was at war with my body, pushing her to be something she wasn't; ignoring messages she sent signaling that I was out of alignment with myself, my needs, my desires and my dreams. I unconsciously created distance between my mind and my body as a way to manage the pain and disappointment of early developmental experiences, which was furthered by the social and cultural pressures I felt around me. As I matured, I gave more and more status to my mind, prioritizing intellectual pursuits. By the time I had reached my late 20s, I had accumulated degrees and awards, professional growth and accomplishments, wealth, and other external measures of success, but internally, I was struggling. I had completely severed my connection with my body to cope with the trauma of my early life, and then, the agony of living a life that didn't feel true. In other words, I had become disembodied. When the alarm bells of anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue began ringing loudly enough, I began a long, nonlinear journey of healing that ultimately led me back home to where my deepest intelligence resides: my body.
Having explored many different modalities within healing and soul-centric spaces, both in deep study and practice - including yoga, meditation, psychology, and somatic healing - I've found that the most profound transformation happened when I directly engaged my body and nervous system in the process. Through connecting to presence, breath, curiosity, movement and sound, I discovered the body's innate intelligence to release trauma, process unconscious patterns and stories, and return to a state of wholeness marked by vitality, ease, clarity, and creative capacity. While mindset-based practices have been an important part of my transformation journey, and something I integrate into my practice, it was only when I learned to cultivate an authentic, deep relationship with my body that true healing took place. This paved the way for me to create a life beyond anything I could have thought possible with my mind alone. My body has shifted from a feeling like a prison to an endless well of creativity and wisdom. The spectrum of sensation I experience on a daily basis is my compass. My body, the home of my entire being, has become one of my most trusted guides.
Within this journey, I realized that artistry is an essential capacity that emerges from a well resourced individual, community, or ecosystem. Cultivating a creative practice supports ongoing presence to and integration of what's emerging within interior spaces, which when made visible, offer essential truths we often hide from. When they are brought into the light in the presence of love, an alchemical process transpires. What once seemed to be an obstacle becomes the pathway back to ensouled living.
THE BODY;
THE WHOLE OF AN ORGANISM;
THE NECTAR OF THE MOON
SOMA is an emergent, holistic practice space that integrates formal studies, trainings, and established modalities alongside my direct experience within the realms of somatic healing, embodiment, mindfulness, ancient spiritual tradition, regenerative development, strategy, design, and the arts. It lives within a paradigm of healing that focuses on wholeness rather than what needs to be "fixed"; that emphasizes potentials over problems. In this work, the body is recognized as a living system with an innate intelligence and capacity to regenerate itself towards greater health when the right environment and conditions are cultivated. People, communities, and places carry a unique essence that is yearning to be expressed and woven into something greater than itself.
invoke soul through embodiment, contemplation, and expression along archetypal and natural landscapes.
To feel fully alive and on purpose, we must allow our deepest, most authentic expression to take root in our life. SO•MA takes a multi-faceted approach to healing and regenerating relationship with self, other, and Nature. Embodiment practices, such as seated and moving meditation, authentic movement, somatic and emotional release, and subtle energy work enable individuals and groups to resource themselves and develop the capacity to meet life in novel ways that the mind alone is not equipped for. From a regulated nervous system and stable emotional environment, the higher mind can see more clearly into present and future potentials, such as new relationships, career pathways, home environments, or artistic avenues.
The archetypal realm is a bridge between our interior and exterior world. The environments and landscapes around us hold ancient, timeless wisdom about the natural rhythms and cycles we all must traverse in this lifetime. Engaging with these realms through contemplative and creative practice enables individuals and groups to come into a symbiotic relationship with life around them. The more we come into coherence with ourselves, the more ease and beauty will arise within our everyday experience because we are no longer fighting nature, our nature and the natural world abound.
the body is a portal into healing, wholeness, and creativity.
Healing is a process of becoming more whole. The body, the seat of one's being, is a living system designed to regenerative itself and evolve over the course of one's lifetime. The human nervous system is a fulcrum for a thriving life. Trauma takes root if we were not given the support to move through and complete essential early developmental cycles, or were unable to fully process our experience at any point in our life. Trauma patterns constrict movement and expression, severe critical relationships, and pause the natural evolution of person or place. This manifests as physical, emotional or mental challenges, such as anxiety or depression, which inhibits imagination and innovation. In other words, we become disembodied.
Embodiment is the capacity to stay connected to our felt, present-moment experience, which allows us to move towards novel, mysterious, emergent edges in our lives without collapsing into fear and worry. By learning to attune oneself, meet foundational needs, and express unprocessed emotions or experiences in the presence of love and care, the body can return to safety. When this happens, the body can then free up essential resources and energy to be directed towards generative, creative endeavors.
This aspect of my practice is informed by a body of work known as Agrahana, which addresses how to consciously work with the human nervous system to unwind stored patterns in the body and liberate trapped energy.
the earth and stars mirror our true nature.
Sacred systems, such as astrology, have been used across cultures for centuries as maps of human consciousness with the recognition that the sky and earth are mirrors of our true nature. The moment we are born, we are imprinted with the energy of the cosmos, a unique signature that meets the continually changing world over the course of our lifetime.
These maps can support individuals and groups to become conscious of their unique essence and come into a coherent expression of themselves. I work within the Geometry of Grace paradigm where The Human Design, Western Astrology, and Vedic Astrology are woven together. The Human Design looks into the body, form, and cognition of someone. Someone's design points to how their energy system is designed to express itself, how they are meant to make decisions, their innate gifts and tendencies, and how they are influenced by the world around them. It's an embodied exploration of essence. Astrology reveals the story that is unfolding through you in space and time. Holding these systems together offers a comprehensive view of how to create more coherence with your soul's path in this life. I align my practice with the cycles of the moon and consider key astrological transits in order to support resonance between individuals, groups, and the collective.
ceremony and ritual is the meeting place between self realization and art.
The path of healing and creativity are one and the same. Art is how your presence and being meets the world. Ceremony and ritual are meeting spaces for the alchemy of self-realization and art. SO•MA invites a beautiful possibility: as you create art, you will meet the truth of yourself. Establishing a creative practice - rooted in rhythm, ritual and immersive play - paves the way for deeper insights into yourself and what you desire to co-create with the world at-large.
