3 reasons you could go deeper with somatics online (and why in-person isn’t the gold standard)
1. Safety first
Somatics is all about re-finding nuggets of safety around us. And what better way to start re-establishing that sense of safety than in the comfort of your own home?
Dr. Stephen Porges of Polyvagal Theory, introduced the term ‘neuroception’ as a subconscious process where our nervous system is seeking both the internal and external environment for safety. What does that look like in real life?
The people I work with are really well acquainted with a practice called Somatic Orienting. Simply put, is the exercise of looking around the space, letting your eyes gently explore, and finding familiar or grounding objects to land on. When practicing this at home, your nervous system registers a deep, built-in familiarity with your surroundings. Because you are not spending energy processing new or foreign environments, your system is far more equipped to settle.
Even better, you are creating a room full of direct sensory anchors, to return to when practicing somatics. Long after our call ends, those exact same objects remain in your space as daily reminders of safety. As I tell my participants: Practice is the one thing that turns somatics from a theory into a real, lasting change in the body.
2. ‘No-one’s watching’ is an option
Being seen while accessing emotional layers in practices of: intuitive movement, humming or shaking, releasing into a sigh or a cry - can feel quite intimidating when you’re just starting out! Online can offer more privacy options.
One of the invitations of somatics is learning to soften into vulnerability. Together we build empowering resources aso that turning inwards feels safe and supportive. And honestly: vulnerability is not always something we have an easy relationship with.
If that resonates with you - it might come as a relief to hear that online sessions allow for many options for more privacy, including:
dimming your lights to a low glow
tilting the camera towards the ceiling
turning the camera off entirely
putting your microphone on mute
The people that practice with me online often find that this level of privacy gives them more permission to experiment. They can make noise, move ‘awkwardly’, and be expressive without the subconscious pressure of being watched—allowing them to go deeper than when sharing a room with another person.
3. Bypassing the trap of studio sessions
Studio sessions can become a trap for real-word somatic integration. Here: I said it! Let this be one of many of my hot takes. Online sessions guide you toward self-autonomy, rather than making you reliant on a physical studio space in order to practice embodiment.
You find that your default tendency is to think your way out of uncomfortable feelings. That intellect has served you well: you’ve done the work in talk therapy, your narrative makes sense, your past is clearer, and you even understand the theory behind "being in the body." But day to day, your nervous system tells a different story:
You feel hyperalert and on guard when you wake up.
You struggle to stay present when a friend is sharing their day with you.
You feel an inexplicable tightness in your chest or throat every time your housemate/partner has left the dishes unwashed again.
You find yourself scrolling for hours in bed after coming back home.
If you only practice regulation inside the 1h session in the studio with a practitioner holding the space, your nervous system learns that safety lives somewhere else.
When we work together online, you practice dropping into your body right in the environment where your actual life unfolds.
Online, you learn to meet those exact same patterns—the throat tightness, the hypervigilance—right on your own rug, in your own home. You are building lasting, real-world autonomy in the space where your life actually happens.
If you’d like to see how simple it is to set up a cozy, supportive home space for our sessions (and beyond!), explore my Online Somatic Guidance Sessions.