The Difference Between Somatic Bodywork and Massage
Given that the somatic bodywork I offer is hands-on connective tissue work done on a massage table, it’s understandably often confused with massage. And while there are some similarities, there are several important distinctions between somatic bodywork and massage that I aim to clarify.
4 Key Differences Between Bodywork and Massage
Clothing and Voice
To begin, the somatic bodywork I provide is done fully clothed and involves hands-on work on the legs, torso, arms, hands and feet, abdomen, upper chest, face, and neck. Basically the entire body. It may also involve inviting the client into some particular breath patterns or asking them to produce sound and use their voice. This can help “wake up” and bring more aliveness to the throat, vocal cords and diaphragm, and in doing so can help bring people more fully into their bodies. I’ve seen even simple practices of this variety help people bring to the surface a memory, emotion, or personal insight that can be hugely impactful in the work we are doing together.
2. Releasing Tension
The bodywork is designed to allow places of chronic holding or tightness in the client’s body to soften, relax, and let go. In this sense I am not “massaging” a knot, rather I am holding the contraction myself and - in doing so - allowing space for the client to soften around that contraction. I may ask the client to take a breath into the area I am working or bring their attention there as a way to increase the invitation to “let go.”
3. Staying Present and Aware
By inviting the client to join me in this way, we see an another important distinction between somatic bodywork and massage. As where with massage we get to “zone out” during our session (and this can feel great too!), with somatic work the intention is to keep the client present during the session. Somatic work is hinged on our ability to increase our awareness - awareness of our body, our narratives and stories, and our emotions and moods - and thus it is essential that the client stay present to what is arising in themselves throughout the session.
This may mean the client is simply staying present to the touch and allowing themselves to receive the softening that is being encouraged, or it may mean they are allowing themselves to feel into whatever mood, emotion, or memory is emerging. It may even mean (and this is common) that they notice a difficulty in letting their body relax on the table. When this occurs, I will often guide the client to notice what in their body is making it challenging to let go, or what the story is they have about what may happen if they let themselves be open and vulnerable in that way. Often these conversations are rich ground for deepening in our understanding of how the client’s history has shaped them and how it may be getting in the way of what they now want for themselves.
4. Somatic Bodywork and The Self
In this sense somatic bodywork, unlike traditional massage, is intentionally connected to the person’s emotional life and their self-narratives. Indeed, it is impossible to truly separate out these domains because they all affect one another: as the body shifts in how it holds tension, the person also shifts in how they are as a self. From a somatic perspective, the body and self are indistinguishable.
If you’re interested in exploring somatic bodywork, contact me to learn more.