The Somatic Therapy Series

Week One : How do we use the Breath in Somatic Therapy?

Developing a different relationship with our body, breath, thoughts and emotion

Somatic therapy. Many of us have heard of it. Clients are interested in it. But what does it actually mean, and how can we use it?

In this article, we will discuss the breath as a somatic therapy tool.

Breath as a somatic practice 

Breathwork is widely considered a somatic practice because it uses conscious control of the breath to connect the mind and body, regulate the nervous system, and release physical tension.

Because “soma” translates to the living body, any intentional practice that tracks physical sensations and uses bodily physiology to process stress or emotions fits under the somatic umbrella.

The history and appropriation

Eastern traditions have used and continue to use pranayama (“breathwork”) in the world long before Western psychology and therapy modalities repackaged the breath as a therapeutic practice. Long before psychology named it “breath work” Eastern traditions such as yoga have understood the body as a source of wisdom, understanding and connection. Yoga, pranayama (breath practice) and dhyana (meditation) are traditions of understanding the relationship between body, mind and experience. 

Modern clinical research

Modern clinical research is catching up with what Eastern traditions have long known and research is increasingly supporting the physiological impacts of these traditional techniques:

• Cardiorespiratory Improvement: Regularly practicing controlled breathing strengthens respiratory muscles, improves lung capacity, and stabilizes blood pressure.

• Nervous System Regulation: Slow, deliberate breath-work triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, drastically lowering cortisol levels, muscular tension, and anxiety.

• Cognitive Enhancements: Studies suggest that balancing the breath significantly sharpens auditory processing, sensory-motor skills, and general focus.

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